Hank Haney ‘coming out hot’ in post-controversy return to airwaves

Hank Haney is returning to the airwaves. The former swing coach of Tiger Woods, who was suspended indefinitely from SiriusXM after making comments dismissive of Korean women’s golfers, announced on Monday that he’s debuting a podcast on September 23rd. “The Hank Haney Podcast” will be hosted on iHeartRadio.

“I’m back and coming out hot,” Haney announced in a tweet. “Lot’s of opinions, great guests, real non sugarcoated golf talk and more.”

Haney seems determined to keep the same shoot-from-the-hip mentality that he had on his SiriusXM show before his suspension, although he knows he’ll face criticism. “You don’t ever recover from scrolling across the bottom on ESPN for 12 hours,” he told Golfweek.

In May, Haney’s SiriusXM cohost asked him who would win the U.S. Women’s Open, and Haney responded dismissively. “I’m gonna predict a Korean. That’s gonna be my prediction. I couldn’t name you, like, six players on the LPGA Tour. Nah, maybe I could. Well, I’d go with Lee. If I didn’t have to name a first name, I’d get a bunch of them right.”

Haney’s comments were widely panned on social media, and he initially apologized, but still received a suspension in a joint statement from SiriusXM and the PGA Tour.

Woods was blunt in assessing Haney’s suspension at the Memorial. “He deserved it,” Woods said. “Just can’t look at life like that. And he obviously said what he meant, and he got what he deserved.”

When South Korean Jeongeun Lee6 went on to win the event, Haney saw it as a sort of validation.

“My prediction that a Korean woman would be atop the leaderboard at the Women’s U.S. Open was based on statistics and facts,” he wrote. “Korean women are absolutely dominating the LPGA Tour. If you asked me again my answer would be the same but worded more carefully.”

Haney reignited the controversy days after Woods’ comments with another statement released on Twitter.

“Amazing how Tiger Woods now has become the moral authority on issues pertaining to women,” Haney wrote. “I spent 6 great years coaching Tiger, and not one time did he ever hear me utter one sexist or racist word. Now, in addition to being a 15 time major champion, I guess he thinks he’s also a mind reader? #glasshouses”

Haney expressed some regret to Golfweek. “I could have worded it better and been more expansive in my explanation,” he said. He added in a tweet that he hadn’t recognized names on the U.S. Women’s Open tee sheet.

Haney’s most high-profile coaching stint came as Woods’ swing coach for six years and six major championships before the pair split up in 2010.

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