Michelle Wie is swinging back at Hank Haney’s offensive barbs.
The LPGA star forcefully rebuked the veteran golf coach and commentator for comments he made Wednesday on his SiriusXM PGA Tour radio show. After predicting “a Korean” would win the U.S. Women’s Open Championship this weekend, Haney confessed he couldn’t name six golfers on the LPGA tour before he stuck his foot further into his mouth, according to Philly.com’s Rob Tornoe,
“Well, I’d go with Li, if I didn’t have to name a first name, I’d get a bunch of ’em right,” Haney said.
Wie condemned Haney’s comments Wednesday via Twitter.
As a Korean American female golfer, these comments that @HankHaney made disappoint and anger me on so many different levels. Racism and sexism are no laughing matter Hank….shame on you. I don’t ever do this, but this must be called out. https://t.co/P18JByTosN
— Michelle Wie (@MichelleWieWest) May 29, 2019
SiriusXM suspended Haney at the PGA Tour’s behest.
“Mr. Haney’s comments on women’s professional golf were insensitive and do not represent the views of the PGA TOUR or SiriusXM,” SiriusXM and the PGA Tour said in a joint statement, per Philly.com. “At the PGA TOUR’s instruction Mr. Haney has been suspended from the SiriusXM PGA TOUR Radio channel.”
Haney, who coached Tiger Woods between 2004 and 2010, apologized for his comments.
— Hank Haney (@HankHaney) May 29, 2019
But he already had done the damage and drawn the scorn of Wie and much of the rest of the golf community.
