Tiger blasts former swing coach
Tiger Woods criticised former swing coach Hank Haney for writing a tell-all book about their years together, telling ESPN the move was "unprofessional and very disappointing."
In an interview reported on Thursday on the US-based sports network's website, Woods said he had no plans to read "The Big Miss: My Years Coaching Tiger Woods" when it hits bookstores on March 27, the week before the Masters.
"I think it's unprofessional and very disappointing, especially because it's someone I worked with and trusted as a friend," Woods said.
"There have been other one-sided books about me and I think people understand that this book is about money. I'm not going to waste my time reading it."
Haney had unique access to the privacy-minded 14-time major winner during a six-year span that ended in May of 2010, saying he spent 110 days a year with Woods, as many of 30 days annually at his home.
Woods won 31 titles, six of them majors, while working with Haney.
A synopsis of the book notes how Haney saw Woods was fearful of "the big miss", a woeful shot that would doom his chances on a hole or in a tournament.
And it mentions Haney's observations on how Woods used a variety of tactics to keep even friends and family from getting too close to him.
"I just think this book is very self-serving," Woods said.
Woods plans to make his 2012 season debut later this month at Abu Dhabi and will play his first US PGA event two weeks later at the Pebble Beach National Pro-Am.
Woods dropped Butch Harmon as coach in 2002 and hired Haney, whom he thanked in his comments as well. Woods split from Haney in 2010 before starting work with Sean Foley.
The first victory for Woods since his split from Haney, and since the eruption of his epic sex scandal in November of 2009, came last month at the charity World Challenge event in a field of 18, when he birdied the final two holes to edge Zach Johnson by one stroke.
"For me, winning the World Challenge like that, it's a win," Woods said. "I don't have to answer more questions about when my next win is going to come."