HILTON HEAD ISLAND, S.C. (AP) — Hank Haney was eager to meet his new students at the International Junior Golf Academy and hoped they wanted to get to know a little about him. Instead, he got peppered with questions about his most famous pupil.
"Every single person asked a question about Tiger Woods," Haney said this week.
Haney, who helped groove Woods' swing the past 3 1/2 years, took over last month as the academy's director of instruction, hopeful he can bring some of what he's taught Tiger to a new generation of ball strikers.
When academy officials wondered if Haney, 52, wanted to squeeze in teaching 160 or so juniors while refining Woods' swing, running a Dallas golf instruction business and heading up the ESPN Golf Schools, Haney made one request: He wanted to dive in full time.
"If I'm going to do this, I want to be involved a meaningful amount of time with the kids," Haney said. "I'm not interested in just putting my name on something."
Haney has already purchased a house here and figures his plan to spend at least two days a month at the academy will grow over time.
"I like teaching kids," Haney said.
Academy students and teachers were thrilled that Woods' swing coach will work with them. "I get goose bumps talking about it," said Matt Fields, the academy's assistant director.
Haney has a long connection with Woods. He taught Woods' junior golf friends, the Kuehne kids — LPGA player Kelli, 1998 U.S. Amateur champ Hank, and 1994 U.S. Am runner-up Trip. Haney was SMU's golf coach while Woods played at Stanford and perhaps most importantly, Haney taught Woods' pal and two-time major champion, Mark O'Meara.
"Mark was obviously the one that really made my career go," Haney said. "I probably wouldn't have had the opportunity to help Tiger" if not for O'Meara.
Haney doesn't expect his time with Woods to conflict with his new duties.
The revamped PGA Tour schedule and FedEx Cup competition ends with the Tour Championship in mid-September, about the start of the academy's school year. And Haney's association with ESPN schools ends after this year.
