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Hank Haney on Tiger Woods: 'He doesn't try to be a jerk. He just doesn't get it'

June 06, 2014

By John Strege

Teddy Greenstein of the Chicago Tribune caught up, via FaceTime, with Chicago native Hank Haney for a Q&A, and, as always, Haney delivered some interesting thoughts on…well, you can guess.

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(Getty Images photo)

Haney's candor is refreshing in a sports world where candor is at a premium. The interview is worth reading in its entirety, but here are a few snippets:

"I don't think he [Tiger Woods] feels things the way most people do. That's why he doesn't choke at the end of tournaments. It's not normal for him to apologize or sign autographs or treat people well. None of that helps him win."

Haney called Woods' former caddie, Steve Williams, "the greatest caddie there has ever been. Look at what he has done with Adam Scott, taken him to No. 1 in the world. I asked Steve how it is working with Adam. Hank, it's so great. Every day when I get done, he tells me, 'Thank you.'"

Asked what would happen if he saw Woods tomorrow, Haney replied, "I'm pretty sure he would just blow me off. That's kind of how he does it. He doesn't try to be a jerk. He just doesn't get it. … There is a price for greatness. I think that comes across in the book."