Tiger Woods' Golf Coaches Through The Years

Tiger Woods has worked with the likes of Butch Harmon and Hank Haney through his career

Butch Harmon and Tiger Woods
Woods was in the peak of his powers under the tutelage of Butch Harmon
(Image credit: Getty Images)

Tiger Woods has famously had a number of high profile coaches down the years including Butch Harmon and Hank Haney.

The 15-time Major winner currently isn't officially coached by anyone, to public knowledge at least. That's because he split with his most recent coach Chris Como in December 2017 and since then has had multiple surgeries and injury layoffs.

Here we take a look at who has coached Tiger Woods through his 20+ year career...

Tiger Woods coaches through the years

Chris Como: 2014 - 2017

Tiger Woods and coach Chris Como

(Image credit: Getty Images)

Woods began working with Como in 2014 although he struggled with his health and injuries so could never really get the results that perhaps their partnership could have yielded.

In 2014 Woods' best finish on the PGA Tour was T25th and his best finish in 2015 was a T10 at the Wyndham Championship. That was his final event before a 15-month layoff for more surgery on his back. The pair stopped working together in 2017 and Woods officially announced the split in December 2017.

“Since my fusion surgery I have been working hard to relearn my own body and golf swing. I’ve done this by primarily relying on my feel and previous years of hard work with Chris. For now, I think it’s best for me to continue to do this on my own. I’m grateful to Chris Como for his past work, and I have nothing but respect for him.”

The split was very amicable, with Como telling Golf.com that he will continue to be a "close friend and resource" to Woods and that he is looking forward watching "what will be one of the most exciting sports comebacks of all time."

Como then got the job of director of instruction at the Dallas National Golf Club which is the home course of three-time major winner Jordan Spieth. He had previously worked at Gleneagles Country Club, also in Texas.

Some were critical of Como due to him being far too technical for Woods. Como has a Masters degree in Biomechanics and one anonymous caddie told the New York Daily News that he is "way worse than [Sean Foley], way too technical."

Other Tour Pros he has coached include Bryson DeChambeau, Jason Day, Trevor Immelman, Jamie Lovemark and Aaron Baddeley. He was reported to charge $1,500 for half-day lessons in his role at Gleneagles Country Club.

Sean Foley: 2010 - 2014

Tiger Woods and his coach Sean Foley

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Woods and Foley began working together in 2010 at the USPGA Championship at Whistling Straits. Foley has coached a number of Tour Pros including Justin Rose, Lee Westwood, Stephen Ames, Danny Willett, Sean O'Hair, Hunter Mahan and Seung-Yul Noh. Foley was credited with increasing Woods' distance as well as turning him into a fade-bias player.

Woods won nine times with Foley as his coach - once at the 2011 World Challenge plus three times in 2012 and five times in 2013, which included him returning to the world number one position. The pair split in August 2014 after Woods sustained an injury.

"With my next tournament not until my World Challenge event at Isleworth in Orlando, this is the right time to end our professional relationship," Woods said.

Foley described working with Woods as "one of the highlights of my career so far."

He said, "It was a lifelong ambition of mine to teach the best player of all time in our sport. I am both grateful of the things we had the opportunity to learn from one another, as well as the enduring friendship we have built. I have nothing but admiration and respect for him."

It was also in 2011 that Tiger started working with caddie Joe LaCava as well, with that relationship lasting until 2023 when LaCava moved on to Patrick Cantlay.

Hank Haney: 2004 - 2010

Hank Haney and Tiger Woods

(Image credit: Getty Images)

Hank Haney and Woods had a six year spell together which saw Tiger's swing become flatter with less wrist cock than in his Butch Harmon days. Haney is from the Dallas, Texas area and had also worked with two-time major winner Mark O'Meara.

Woods won six Majors while working with Haney, making Haney his second-most successful coach. He also won 31 PGA Tour titles in that spell. The pair parted ways as Haney officially resigned at the 2010 Players Championship.

He then infamously released a tell-all book titled 'The Big Miss: My Years Coaching Tiger Woods' and was criticized by some for releasing confidential information that went against the player-coach code.

Butch Harmon: 1993 - 2004

Butch Harmon and Tiger Woods

(Image credit: Getty Images)

Butch Harmon is largely considered as one of the very best golf coaches of his era, and was with Woods for 11 years. Butch is a former pro and son of the 1948 Masters winner Claude Harmon Sr. His son Claude is also a successful instructor.

Woods had his best results under Butch Harmon, winning three US Amateur titles in a row and then eight Majors as a pro, which included the Tiger Slam in 2000 and 2001 where he owned all four Major trophies simultaneously. He also won 34 PGA Tour titles under Harmon.

Harmon has taught the likes of Ernie Els, Fred Couples, Davis Love III, Greg Norman, Phil Mickelson, Dustin Johnson and Rickie Fowler.

Sam Tremlett
E-commerce Editor

A golfer for most of his life, Sam is a Senior Staff Writer for Golf Monthly. 

Working with golf gear and equipment over the last six years, Sam has quickly built outstanding knowledge and expertise on golf products ranging from drivers, to balls, to shoes. 

He combines this knowledge with a passion for helping golfers get the best gear for them, and as such Sam manages a team of writers that look to deliver the most accurate and informative reviews and buying advice. This is so the reader can find exactly what they are looking for.


Sam now spends most of his time testing and looking after golf gear content for the website, whilst he is also responsible for all content related to golf apparel. 

He also oversees all Tour player content as well so if you need to know what clubs Tiger or Rory has in play, Sam is the person to ask. 

Unfortunately, Sam is not a member of any club at the moment but regularly gets out on the golf course to keep up the facade of having a handicap of five. 


Sam's What's In The Bag: 

Driver: Titleist TS3 (9 degrees) 

Fairway Wood: Callaway Paradym (15 degrees), Nike Covert Tour 2.0 (19 degrees) 

Irons (4-PW): Titleist AP2 

Wedges: Titleist Vokey SM7 54˚, 58˚ 

Putter: Scotty Cameron Phantom X 5.5 

Ball: Srixon Z-Star Diamond

Shoes: G/FORE Gallivanter/Nike Air Zoom Infinity NEXT%/Cuater The Ringer