Just last week, Tiger Woods was asked to compare his recent return to golf following a highly publicized personal scandal with that of four years ago, when he missed nine weeks after the death of his father, Earl.
"I remember the hard part when my father passed is I really struggled with practicing," he recalled. "That's when I mourned the most because that's when my dad taught me all the basics, the fundamentals, and I really had a hard time practicing and working on my game."
There is no doubt that Earl -- who first started teaching Tiger to play golf before the youngster could even walk -- was a huge influence on his son's game, not only spiritually but technically. In fact, Woods has often said that nobody has known the details of his swing like his father.
It's not uncommon for a parent to serve in this role well into a player's professional's career. For example, Jim Furyk's father, Mike, still works as his son's instructor. Without his own dad in the mix, Woods has found it difficult to find that extra set of eyes to serve in an unofficial capacity alongside his coach.
With previous instructor Hank Haney having given up that position this week, the question of how Woods will approach instruction becomes a hot-button issue once again. Here are six possible scenarios:
Butch Harmon: Woods' swing coach for his formative years as a professional, Harmon has the expertise and street cred to build him back. After all, it was under Harmon's tutelage that Tiger won his first eight major titles and was at his most dominant. However, the Las Vegas-based coach's stable already includes Woods' main rival, Phil Mickelson, as well as Nick Watney, Stewart Cink, Fred Couples and new recruit Dustin Johnson. Tiger likely wouldn't get the personal touch he seeks, plus there are some lingering concerns that Harmon's swing instructions placed extra duress on Woods' three-time surgically repaired left knee.
Sean Foley: Rumors are already flying around PGA Tour locker rooms -- not to mention the blogosphere -- that Foley is next in line to become Woods' main man. Currently the coach for Hunter Mahan and Sean O'Hair, who is considered a friend of Tiger's, Foley issued a statement last week in rebuttal: "I have not talked to Tiger about coaching in any form whatsoever." Well, at least he's already got the public denial thing down pat.
Andy Plummer and Mike Bennett: You better know them as the "Stack and Tilt" guys. Even with an ever-growing stable of PGA Tour veterans and an impressive track record, this would be an eye-popping decision for Woods, who would need to fully break down his current move through the ball and completely reinvent his swing. He's already done this two times in his career. Would he be ready for a third?
Hank Haney: That's right -- the same guy who on Monday night severed ties with Woods after more than six full seasons on the payroll. Haney has already said he will be there for Woods if ever needed -- both as an instructor and a friend -- so it's not inconceivable that he could either work in a more unofficial capacity or, after a brief respite between the two, they could return to working together once again.
Nobody: Unlike coaches in team sports, instructors are not a necessity in golf. "Tiger is the most knowledgeable golfer that I've ever been around," Haney said. "He knows what he needs to do and he'll be able to figure it out." If that's the case, perhaps he will go it alone for a while, opting to figure out his swing without the aid of an instructor.
Anybody: Those who play the game -- no matter the level -- understand that swing tips can come at anytime, in any form. It would be difficult to imagine Woods working his way up and down the driving range, asking others for help, but he might seek to glean information from multiple sources, culling together the thoughts of each one in an effort to build his swing to where he would like it to be.
Jason Sobel is a golf writer for ESPN.com. He can be reached at Jason.Sobel@espn3.com.
