Tiger Woods’ ex-coach defends LIV Golf, hits back at fan for downplaying the circuit’s format

Tiger Woods' former coach, Hank Haney, has come to the defense of the LIV Golf Circuit. He stated that it was illogical to term a 3-round event as exhibition golf and a 4-round event as a real one.

Haney is a well-known golf instructor who worked with Tiger Woods for six years until 2010. Together, they won 32 times on the PGA Tour, including six Major championships. Besides, the duo claimed three other titles on the DP World Tour.

On Monday, September 16, Haney congratulated Jon Rahm on winning the LIV Golf Championship, stating that it meant something to the golfer.

However, one fan mocked the Saudi-backed circuit, calling it an exhibition. Haney responded by referring to the PGA Tour events as a 4-day exhibition.

The fan also replied to Haney and explained his stance.

"You know what I’m getting at Hank. For the good of the sport, there has to be an agreement reached. The LIV tour is a joke as it stands now and we all want to see the best players compete against each other in real 4 day tournaments," he replied.

The veteran coach questioned Anthony's logic.

"What makes a 4 day tournament real and a 3 day tournament not real? Is a 200m race not real but a 400m is? Is a 250 mile race not real but a 500 mile is? Is 32 person bracket not real but a 64 person bracket is real? This logic I just don't get," he wrote.

The Saudi-backed circuit has often come under criticism from golf fans, and the 54-hole format is one of the reasons for that. Further, this format has also been an obstacle for LIV Golf pros in getting the OWGR points.

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Tiger Woods undergoes back surgery

On Friday, September 13, Tiger Woods announced that he underwent back surgery after suffering from repeated back spasms and pain. The official statement revealed that the surgery was done by Dr Sheeraz Qureshi of the Hospital for Special Surgery in West Palm Beach.

"The surgery went smoothly, and I’m hopeful this will help alleviate the back spasms and pain I was experiencing throughout most of the 2024 season," Woods wrote. "I look forward to tackling this rehab and preparing myself to get back to normal life activities, including golf."

Tiger Woods played five events this season, with four of them being the Major championships. He missed three cuts and withdrew in between from the Genesis Invitational. He made the only cut of the season at the Masters Tournament.