Hank Haney: This is the one part of Tiger Woods’ game I never questioned

Tiger Woods’ former swing coach, Hank Haney, hasn’t always pulled punches when it comes to his former student. He speaks his mind, for better or for worse.

On Monday, it was for the better.

On his new “Hank Haney Podcast,” Haney lavished praise on Tiger’s course management skills, saying that in all his years he had never once questioned Tiger’s decision making, because he never made a mental mistake.

“The thing that Tiger can do, what he said in his interview afterwards: ‘I can think my way around the golf course.’ Rarely, did he ever, ever make a mental mistake. When I used to coach players on the tour…after every round of every tournament, I would go through every shot. This swing on No. 2; this putt on No. 4; this chip on No. 8; what were you thinking on No. 10 when you make this play? And what were you thinking on No. 18? Why didn’t you do this? Why’d you do that? Not one time, did I ever in six years of coaching Tiger, did I ever question how he played a hole. I really never did. He just never made course management mistakes.”

High praise from Haney, and it’s spot on. Tiger famously won the 2006 British Open at Hoylake without hitting a driver all week. It’s easy to admire his power and supreme athleticism, but above all else, it’s his mind that continually sets him apart.