Hank Haney is suspended because of his radio show about remarks about women's golf

Hank Haney, the former swing coach for Tiger Woods, was suspended from his SiriusXM PGA Tour radio show on Thursday, one day after he had professional craftsmen fired wave and mocked the ethnicity of many LPGA stars.

On Wednesday, the day before the start of the Women's Open in Charleston, SC, Haney predicted during his show that "a Korean" would win and said he could not name six players at the tour, but that he would get "some of them right" if he guessed "Lee" and didn't have to produce first names.

The reactions quickly brought criticism from various current and former players, including the Hall of Famer Annika Sorenstam and Michelle Wie, one of the most prominent members of the LPGA tour. Who wrote on Twitter: "As a Korean American female golfer, these comments that Hank Haney made disappoint and anger me on so many levels. Racism and sexism are no laughers. Hank … Shame on you."

Haney, best known for coaching Woods while winning 31 PGA Tour titles, including six majors, from 2004 and 2010, later issued an apology during the day via text message to Golf Digest. He said he regretted his comments and described them as "insensitive."

"In an attempt to make a point about the overwhelming success of Korean players on the tour, I have insulted people and I am sorry," the message said. . "I have the greatest respect for the women who have worked so hard to reach the pinnacle of their sport, and I never wanted to distance themselves from their skills and achievements."

The PGA Tour and SiriusXM jointly have a statement Thursday evening announcing the suspension of Haney and saying that his comments do not reflect their views. SiriusXM, the added statement, reviews Haney's future status.

"I accept my suspension and apologize again," Haney said in the release.

The first 12 L.P.G.A. seasonal events have brought winners from six countries; six of the tournaments were won by South Koreans. Mike Whan, the L.P.G.A. Commissioner, said that he considered the global reach of the ladies' game to be the greatest force.

"I'm not going to waste my time on people who will never get it," Whan said of Haney & # 39; s

The woman who was crowned the US Open champion on Sunday deserves $ 1 million, the largest payout of the women's golf tournament. After Thursday's first round, Mamiko Higa from Japan was at the top of a ranking where the players in the first six places each represented a different country.