Tiger stares down reporter over Haney book

PALM BEACH GARDENS, Fla. - Tiger Woods had a terse exchange with a magazine reporter Wednesday over excerpts from his former swing coach's new book, and ended the conversation with a long stare and a sarcastic, "Have a good day."

If that wasn't enough, he fielded 10 questions about his putting.

And so began a bumpy road to the Masters for Woods, who has gone more than two years without winning on the PGA Tour, and is approaching the four-year anniversary of his last major championship.

Woods, who last year moved to Palm Beach County, is playing the Honda Classic for the first time since 1993, when he was a 17-year-old with no big concerns except to finish high school.

Hank Haney's book, "The Big Miss," is scheduled for release March 27, the week before the Masters. The book is about Haney's six years as Woods' swing coach, and Golf Digest on Tuesday began to release excerpts through its tablet applications.

In the excerpt, Haney details Woods' fascination with the military, particularly the Navy SEALs.

"I was beginning to realize that his sentiment ran deep, and that as incredible as it seemed, Tiger was seriously considering becoming a Navy SEAL," Haney wrote, referring to the summer of 2007. "I didn't know how he'd go about it, but when he talked about, it was clear that he had a plan. After finding out that the Navy SEAL age limit is 28, I asked Tiger about his being too old to join. 'It's not a problem,' he said. 'They're making a special age exemption for me."'

When asked about the book, Woods said his disappointment with Haney hasn't changed. When asked his reaction to the excerpt, Woods replied, "Well, I've already talked about it."