Hank Haney defends Tiger book

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Tiger Woods' former swing coach Hank Haney and Woods' agent Mark Steinberg traded comments Monday about a new book set to be released this week.

Haney

Woods

Haney, appearing on a variety of ESPN shows on Monday, wrote in his book, "The Big Miss", that Woods injured himself while undergoing Navy SEALs training.

Steinberg disagrees and issued a statement early Monday, saying: "Haney admits he never had in-depth, personal discussions with Tiger. This self-serving book is full of guesses and false assumptions. Most don't merit a response, but his stories about Tiger's injuries are simply not true. Tiger's injuries, and how they occurred, were exactly as described at the time they happened. Despite repeated claims that this is a golf book, it's not."

Haney, appearing on "ESPN First Take", said that a key portion of the book relating to a knee injury suffered by Woods in 2007 was told to him by two sources -- a woman at a golf event Haney was attending in Minnesota who said her husband witnessed the injury, and a friend of Woods' and Haney's who told Haney that Woods had relayed the same story to him. "That's what he told a friend of mine," Haney said.

In the book, Haney writes about hearing the story from Corey Carroll, one of Woods' friends at Isleworth, the housing development in Orlando, Fla., where Woods lived.

"My immediate thought upon hearing Corey's account, which so closely paralleled that of the woman in Minneapolis, was that it was true," Haney wrote. "And if so, it meant that if Tiger never catches Jack Nicklaus, it will very likely have as much to do with the time and physical capacity he lost as a result of his bizarre Navy SEALs adventure as anything else."

Woods has had four surgeries on his left knee.

Haney also said on ESPN that he thought Woods' swing, which he has changed under new coach Sean Foley, "looked good" and said Woods' putting is the big question mark. Haney also said that Woods "looked comfortable" in winning his first official PGA Tour event in 26 starts on Sunday at the Arnold Palmer Invitational at Bay Hill. Haney also said he was rooting for Woods while watching him play at Bay Hill, saying it was good for golf when Woods is playing well.

Haney also addressed claims that his book isn't about Woods the golfer, but delves too closely into Woods the man away from the course. "It is a golf book," Haney said. "Injuries, whether they happened in golf or not in golf, related to golf."

Haney was Woods' swing coach from 2004-2010. He resigned in May 2010, saying it was his decision. At the time, Haney said that "Tiger Woods has done the work to achieve a level of greatness that I believe the game of golf has never seen before and I will always appreciate the opportunity that I have had to contribute to his successes."

The book goes on sale Tuesday.

Information from The Associated Press is included in this report.

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