Sean Foley, coach of Mahan and O’Hair, giving Tiger another set of eyes at PGA Championship
By Doug Ferguson, APTuesday, August 10, 2010
Woods practices with a coach at his side at PGA
SHEBOYGAN, Wis. — Tiger Woods played a practice round Tuesday at the PGA Championship with a swing coach at his side.
Sean Foley is not Woods’ coach — at least not yet.
The Canadian-born coach who lives in Orlando, Fla., confirmed that Woods asked him to take a look at his swing. Asked if he was working with Woods, Foley paused and said, “I wouldn’t say that.”
“But the possibility is there,” Foley said. “I’m just taking a look at him. The advice I would give any player is to have at least two people look at your swing.”
It was the second time in three months that Foley has been part of Woods’ group in a practice round. Neither time was unusual because Woods was playing with two of Foley’s clients, Hunter Mahan and Sean O’Hair.
The difference at Whistling Straits came on the par-5 fifth hole, when Foley took out his video camera to tape Woods’ swing. Foley later stood below the eighth tee on a cart path to capture his swing from in front of him.
“I did ask him to film a couple I would like to take a look at — which I did look — so I’m heading in the right direction,” Woods said.
Woods didn’t look at the videotape on the golf course. On the 10th tee, Foley and Woods had a brief conversation before the coach dropped back to work with Stephen Ames, another client.
Woods has been without a coach since he parted ways with Hank Haney in May. They had worked together for six years. The only other coach the world’s No. 1 player employed as a professional was Butch Harmon, which lasted until 2003.
Woods has said he would not have a coach, instead relying on a friend at home in Orlando to videotape his shots. Asked if it were possible for Foley to be his next coach, Woods replied, “Certainly it’s a possibility, no doubt.”
“But there’s also a lot of other coaches out there that’s a possibility, as well, that I’ve talked to,” Woods said. “I wanted to have him take a look at it today on video so I can take a look at it, and that’s what we did.”
Mahan, who began working with Foley two years ago at the PGA Championship, described the Woods-Foley relationship as “another set of eyes right now.”
“Could be something more, you never know,” Mahan said. “I have a feeling they’re going to talk about that in private and then figure that out in the next few weeks or months. But I don’t know exactly what they’re doing together.”
After Foley dropped back with Ames, it was O’Hair who stood behind Woods to check out his fairway metal toward the 11th green. It was a peculiar sight in one respect. Last year at the Tour Championship, it was Woods who gave O’Hair a putting tip that helped lead O’Hair to a 66 and the first-round lead at East Lake.
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