Tiger Woods’ team did what many teams do after a bad season Monday _ get rid of the coach.
Woods announced on his website that he and Sean Foley, with whom he has worked with over the past four years, will no longer have a working relationship.
Woods and Foley have won eight tournaments during their time together, including five in 2013 when he was named Player of the Year. But this year was particularly frustrating for the duo, as Woods struggled with a back problem that led to surgery in late March, then failed to find his form upon returning. After missing the cut at the PGA Championship earlier this month, Woods announced he won’t play again until December.
Foley was the third coach Woods has had in his career, following Butch Harmon (1993-2003) and Hank Haney (2003-10).
Woods said on his website, “I’d like to thank Sean for his help as my coach and for his friendship. Sean is one of the outstanding coaches in golf today, and I know he will continue to be successful with the players working with him. With my next tournament not until my World Challenge event at Isleworth in Orlando, this is the right time to end our professional relationship.”
Foley’s response, from the same website: “My time spent with Tiger is one of the highlights of my career so far, and I am appreciative of the many experiences we shared together. It was a lifelong ambition of mine to teach the best player of all time in our sport. I am both grateful for the things we had the opportunity to learn from one another, as well as the enduring friendship we have built. I have nothing but respect and admiration for him.”
The weekend wasn’t all negative for Foley, as another of his pupils, Hunter Mahan, won the first leg of the FedEx Cup series, the Barclays, on Sunday.
Woods has struggled with his all-around game but particularly his driver since returning from injury. He played four events after coming back in late June, missing the cut in two and being forced to withdraw by a back injury in another. He insisted that back problem was not related to the one that forced him to undergo surgery.
Woods said after his final round of the 2013-14 season at the PGA Championship that he couldn’t “continue to burn the candle at both ends,” meaning play competitively while trying to get his body right at the same time. A few days later he informed Ryder Cup Tom Watson he wanted to withdraw his name from consideration for the Ryder Cup, which will be played in September in Scotland.
Woods had only one top-25 finish in seven events this year and continues to chase a pair of significant milestones. His 14 majors trail Jack Nicklaus by four, and his 79 career wins trail Sam Snead by three. He will turn 39 in December.
