"For those who love the game."

Enough about Butch Why are so many people making such a big deal about the relationship between Tiger Woods and Butch Harmon? It's getting tiring.  Although I may not have been very old during some of Jack Nicklaus' early droughts without winning a major, I can't remember everyone morbidly focusing on it like they are with Woods. I am almost positive that no one made this big of a deal about who Nicklaus' teacher was or his so-called slump. The great play of those who won majors instead of Nicklaus, like Johnny Miller, or Lee Trevino seemed to get more of the attention back then (I guess they didn't have The Golf Channel back then, though, either). Why do people like Miller (and others) feel the need to tell Woods who his teacher should be? Does it meet some kind of an emotional need in them? Maybe they are saying to themselves: "Tiger is not playing as well as I know he can. I will tell him (and the golf world) what he needs to do. Then, when he wins again, I can prove to everyone that I'm the one who really knew how to help him. If he listens to Butch and I, he will be just fine." Both Harmon and Miller, have recently pointed out alleged flaws in Woods' swing.  For example, Harmon's apparently unsolicited analysis in the March Golf Digest was that Woods' right arm was more underneath his left near impact than Adam Scott's, who Harmon claimed was in a better position. Miller has made similar critiques on NBC golf telecasts.  Woods has indicated that the advice has come his way even though he hasn't made it known what he was working on or what type of shot he was trying to hit at the time of the recording/photos in question.  Even halfway decent amateurs know that when you are working on a fade or punch, your alignment is usually different, the timing of your hands squaring the club may be different because you are holding on or your wrist may be bowed, etc., etc. Miller and Harmon have both probably pointed out things in this fashion when they should have known better.  Both men appeared to be trying to force Woods to humble himself by making him jealous or something, by saying that Adam Scott was swinging better than he was. You could say that all this commotion about the terminated relationship with Harmon is a backhanded compliment to Woods. That attention is fine, to a degree. But enough is enough.  Some seem to be saying, "See everyone, Tiger is not as good as you all think he is on his own. The only reason he was such a great player was because of Butch Harmon's tweaking and pulling the strings. Now he just needs to check his ego and give Butch a call." What people like Johnny Miller need to ask themselves is, if this was not Tiger Woods, but another player in the exact same situation, would I be saying the same things? Why am I trying to embarrass him like this?  We feel compelled to make a suggestion to Miller et al. Let the player pick his own teacher--or not pick his own teacher, for that matter. That is how the golf world has always treated professional golfers.  As a matter of fact, the room that the game leaves open to individualistic approaches is one of the most attractive features of the game. There have been many, many great self-taught players who rarely, if ever, used a teacher. Others use them sparingly, and still others depend on them extensively. Woods surely knows--better than most--the value of good teaching and how to apply it. There is no way he could have compiled the phenomenal record he has without knowing this.  Harmon is undoubtedly a great teacher. However, any credit the teacher gets should be doled out by the player and the player alone. Isn't that, after all, why the teacher gets paid?  When Woods was at his peak winning majors and many other tournaments, Harmon started showing up to congratulate him after the victory in front of the TV cameras. Isn't it common sense that a teacher shouldn't be anywhere near his student in such a situation, unless of course, the player insists? If any kudos are in order, leave it up to the player to decide. If the player doesn't say anything, it doesn't matter anyway. You got paid, right?  --Mark Grim  June 24, 2004   email comments to: preservegolf@panhandlepremium.com © 2004. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission of Preserve Golf. For the full opinion of PreserveGolf.com, please click here.

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