Johnny Miller Said No to Coaching Tiger

NBC LEAD GOLF ANALYST JOHNNY MILLER was asked to help Tiger Woods with his short-iron play, according to the October issue of Golf Magazine, as reported by media outlets.

Johnny Miller (Callaway)

“Not many people know this, but when Tiger had been on Tour for two or three years, his people called and asked if I would give him lessons on short irons,” Miller was quoted as saying. “Jack Nicklaus told him I was the best short iron play ever—a pretty great compliment.”

(It’s true. Johnny was a great iron player, even if he is sometimes bombastic in the booth.)

Miller turned Tiger down, “which I don’t think many people have done,” Mr. 63 added.

Johnny, of course, was working for NBC at the time and wanted to spend time with his grandchildren. Miller said he was also tired. But, if asked, Johnny would take the reins now. “He’s the guy I’d like to help most … I know all the swings he’s had.”

Well, Tiger, what do you say?

Woods, as reported, has had three coaches since turning pro: Butch Harmon, Hank Haney and his current coach, Sean Foley.

But as a longtime observer of the golf world, I submit that Tiger Woods has had hundreds (or maybe thousands) of coaches, most all of them unpaid and totally ignored. From reading The Big Miss, this isn’t entirely different from the experience of Haney, who pointed out that Tiger often only heard and did what he wanted to.