News

Michelle Wie slams Hank Haney for “racist and sexist” remarks on the women’s professional game

Published

7 years ago

May 29, 2019

Hank Haney has come under fire on social media for comments made on Wednesday about women’s professional golf on his radio show on SiriusXM PGA Tour Radio.

Michelle Wie is the highest profile LPGA star to slam Haney who when asked for a prediction at this week’s U.S. Women’s Open, stated

“I’m gonna predict a Korean. That’s gonna be my prediction. I couldn’t name you, like, six players on the LPGA Tour. Nah, maybe I could. Well, I’d go with Lee. If I didn’t have to name a first name, I’d get a bunch of them right. I don’t know… Lexi Thompson… Michelle Wie’s hurt. I don’t know that many. Where are they playing, by the way?”

You can listen to the full audio in the embedded tweet below.

If you'd prefer to listen to Hank Haney disparage the LPGA and US Women's Open this morning on SiriusXM, here's the audio: https://t.co/WWIItaWAG5

— Ryan Ballengee (@RyanBallengee) May 29, 2019

Golf Channel’s Jerry Foltz shared the comments from the former swing coach of Tiger Woods and added in a tweet “I’m not sure if that’s more racist or sexist. Shame on you Hank.”

Michelle Wie, as well as several other LPGA Tour competitors and golf fans, have echoed Foltz’ sentiments and blasted Haney on the social media platform throughout Wednesday afternoon.

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 (@themichellewie) May 29, 2019

Unacceptable! https://t.co/5LvSPe5muh

— Annika Sorenstam (@ANNIKA59) May 29, 2019

Thanks @HankHaney ???????????????? Shameful. https://t.co/kLAt62ofdo

— Marina Alex (@Marina_Deee) May 29, 2019

What the heck ???? https://t.co/IWPLAUNYfw

— Brittany Lincicome (@Brittany1golf) May 29, 2019

The U.S. Women’s Open gets underway from Country Club of Charleston on Thursday.

Update: Haney tweeted the following apology early Wednesday afternoon.

pic.twitter.com/skae585d0L

— Hank Haney (@HankHaney) May 29, 2019

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Gianni Magliocco

Gianni is the Managing Editor at GolfWRX. He can be contacted at gianni@golfwrx.com

57 Comments

underachiever

Jun 2, 2019 at 7:52 pm

Any irony in him getting the Lee prediction correct…

Reply Report comment
- 2putttom
  
  Jun 3, 2019 at 1:40 pm
  
  roflmao
  
  Reply Report comment
J

May 31, 2019 at 12:53 pm

This is stupid. It sounds like a compliment to the Koreans. As far racism? Go spend a year in Seoul or work for Samsung. You will truly feel what racism is like. Koreans are the most racist/ xenophobic people on Earth.

Reply Report comment
mark

May 30, 2019 at 4:29 pm

There’s still an LPGA tour?????

Reply Report comment
- 2putttom
  
  Jun 3, 2019 at 1:42 pm
  
  come out from under your rock
  
  Reply Report comment
HKO

May 30, 2019 at 1:20 pm

comments here are worse than what Haney farted thru his mouth. unbelievable level of racism & misogyny. oh and dyslexia. #shame

Reply Report comment
Todd

May 30, 2019 at 12:44 pm

His Voodoo snake oil must be effecting his brain….

Reply Report comment
- 2putttom
  
  Jun 3, 2019 at 1:42 pm
  
  well if it works then I want some., opps! guess it works lol
  
  Reply Report comment
Patricknorm

May 30, 2019 at 10:43 am

This is a typical American old white guy response. I know many don’t get the implication but golf is a world game. Much of the LPGA tour is sponsored by Asian companies. Hank is not very bright. And this response didnt surprise me. Tiger Woods mother is Asian. Michelle Wie is Asian American. Goodbye Hank. Probably cost you a gig on PGA tour radio.

Reply Report comment
- Joe
  
  May 30, 2019 at 4:21 pm
  
  Your comments are just as racist and thoughtless as Haney’s.
  
  Reply Report comment
  - Steve
    
    May 30, 2019 at 7:26 pm
    
    No they’re not, Joe.
    
    Reply Report comment
Thomas A

May 30, 2019 at 10:33 am

Man, this comment section shows that ignorance abounds in the golf world. Way too many men (and it’s always men) are so easily offended that you can’t disparage other people. What Hank said was racist and sexist. He should have just said “I don’t pay enough attention to the LPGA to pick a winner.”

Reply Report comment
- Pepe
  
  May 30, 2019 at 3:24 pm
  
  if he said “not sure, probably an american named smith” would that be racist?????? NO
  
  Reply Report comment
  - Freeze
    
    May 30, 2019 at 7:08 pm
    
    Obviously you dont know the meaning of racist
    
    Reply Report comment
  - Steve
    
    May 30, 2019 at 7:57 pm
    
    Maybe not racist but just as dumb.
    
    Reply Report comment
  - J
    
    May 31, 2019 at 12:56 pm
    
    It’s not racist if u talk about white people.
    
    Reply Report comment
- 2putttom
  
  Jun 3, 2019 at 1:48 pm
  
  lol…. but he does and he did.
  
  Reply Report comment
Adam

May 30, 2019 at 10:16 am

Always disliked Haney. He’s a jerk. He gives golf a bad name, like all those country club jerks.

If he’s so concerned about Korean players dominating, why doesn’t he coach up some US players? He is top level coach, isn’t he?

Reply Report comment
Shaolin

May 30, 2019 at 9:40 am

It’s not just he said, it’s how he said it.
Just saying the truth doesn’t not mean you can’t make it racist and sexist.

Reply Report comment
hank

May 30, 2019 at 9:35 am

wonder what the reaction is by those who are so incredibly offended….when a korean wins.

sometimes the truth hurts

Reply Report comment
Blake

May 30, 2019 at 9:30 am

So your telling me if vegas offered a bet of “a korean wins or someone named lee” your not gonna bet that?

Haney did nothing wrong

Reply Report comment
- HKO
  
  May 30, 2019 at 1:15 pm
  
  dyslexia is also a disease. you need help.
  
  Reply Report comment
Steve

May 30, 2019 at 7:33 am

I was literally thinking the exact same thing earlier this week when they announced the prize money has increased to $1 million. “Which Korean will get it and does anyone know even three players that aren’t named Paige or Lee?”

He’s 100% right and those ladies better not complain too much or the gravy train may come to a grinding halt.

Reply Report comment
- Steve
  
  May 30, 2019 at 7:48 pm
  
  Nice threat! You sound like a real swell guy.
  
  Reply Report comment
JThunder

May 30, 2019 at 3:38 am

People who have no empathy for what may offend others are very often, ironically, the easiest to offend if you find the right button to push. They find it very easy to say “what’s the big deal” or “he’s speaking the truth” when it’s something they’d say themselves. But insult something *they* hold dear and watch their head explode…

The world needs more empathy and less people just “speaking their mind”. Kids who are raised right are taught by their parents not to just “speak their mind” without thinking first when they’re about 5 years old.

The anonymous internet and ludicrous amount of “content” being generated are driving the world rapidly in the opposite direction. The last two years have proven that lacking empathy does NOT make the world a better place.

Reply Report comment
- bud
  
  May 30, 2019 at 9:30 am
  
  i see a world where people are live in constant outrage over the dumbest things and will always find something to be offended about. haney literally said what most think…that a korean will likely win and where are they playing…
  
  cue up those eager to be offended and play the role of the victim. its so tiring
  
  Reply Report comment
  - Thomas A
    
    May 30, 2019 at 10:29 am
    
    Bud, you can start by getting you head out of you a**. What he said was completely offensive to Koreans and Asians and women. He just wrote off an entire segment of the population because he’s too ignorant to not know when to shut up. You seem to be in the same category.
    
    Reply Report comment
  - Billy Bob
    
    May 30, 2019 at 1:23 pm
    
    Bud, if you would be so kind, please explain something about the comment you made. If someone were to ask you who you thought would be most likely to win the Women’s U.S. Open, would you name a golfer’s name or would you simply make some broad statement that probably some Korean woman is likely to win?
    
    Because one could assume that if you are able to reply with a golfer’s name, you probably would have a bit more than just a passing or casual interest in women’s golf and have an opinion on who is currently playing well and has their game in order, but if the remark you make is focused on the probability of the player’s nationality, you have opted to completely ignore the question and simply use the moment to spout off some lame, off the cuff, social commentary.
    
    The simple fact is that everyone who has any small degree of interest in golf is well aware of the fact that currently there is an unusually high number of Korean women who are competing at the very highest level on the LPGA tour, so for an insider professional like Hank Haney to cavalierly point that out, it is nothing more than boring at best.
    
    But unfortunately, Hank – perhaps thinking that he has a budding future in the ‘golf entertainment business’ – decided not to let his boring remark simply die or or use it as a lame prelude to discussing what we could do here in the United States to get more young American women interested in playing golf at the highest level; no Hank decided to use his first lame comment as a springboard into making unnecessary comments about people’s family names.
    
    Not exactly a class act.
    
    So in summary Bud, I would like to defend what JThunder wrote, because it isn’t always about ‘freedom of speech’ vs ‘politically correct’, often it’s about something more. Often it is about things like politeness and self restraint – you know, those kind of things that are often grouped under a general label of ‘basic potty training’ when we talk about raising our children.
    
    Reply Report comment
- Blake
  
  May 30, 2019 at 12:15 pm
  
  Agreed, like people are offended that other people are offended. People, women and minorities especially, are no more offended than they always have been. They’re just not keeping it in any more and have a lot more platforms to express their feelings.
  
  Reply Report comment
Carole

May 30, 2019 at 12:36 am

Hank stepped on this tong this time….he is just one of the majority of people in the golf business that know the PGA TOUR is the place where the money and fans are. As good at the game as members of the LPGA are they are not at the same level and never will be with the PGA TOUR. Like any sport it is the BEST and highest level of that sport that people want to see…anything else is minor league events good just not the best….

Reply Report comment
Brandon

May 29, 2019 at 11:32 pm

Millennials crying about racism and sexism when the statement is just straight factual. Color me shocked.

Reply Report comment
Johnny Penso

May 29, 2019 at 11:19 pm

While I agree it’s much ado about nothing, I’m a little surprised the HH would be so dismissive of a part of the game that puts food on his table. He’s not a dummy so he’s got to know that being dismissive of the female side of professional golf is not going to go over well.

Reply Report comment
DB

May 29, 2019 at 10:08 pm

Where’s the lie?

Reply Report comment
tomas

May 29, 2019 at 8:47 pm

what is racist about what he said?? He said the truth. The LPGA tour is a joke. An american based tour with mostly Koreans who contend every week… not racist just fact .. little girls can’t identify with them anymore. Broken or little english, not good for tv .. they can deny it all t why want. 1 american has won this year … 1 .. the golf is good, better than ever , but americans could care less

Reply Report comment
- Rick
  
  May 29, 2019 at 10:48 pm
  
  So Americans do care? Seems like you’re contradicting yourself.
  
  Reply Report comment
- Shallowface
  
  May 30, 2019 at 9:12 am
  
  If Americans don’t like the fact that Koreans have taken over the LPGA Tour, there is one solution.
  
  Play better.
  
  The Korean LPGA stars are to be admired. Their work ethic is unmatched. I wish American children were raised with the standards of hard work and respect for parents and others with which Asian children are raised.
  
  It’s going to happen to the men’s PGA Tour as well. That part of the world is going to bury us in every way imaginable. Why? Harder work and better parenting. Higher standards. Not coddling every form of deviancy imaginable. And that’s just for starters.
  
  Reply Report comment
- Steve
  
  May 30, 2019 at 8:07 pm
  
  All those players are just some chick named, Lee,right?
  
  If you’re daughter cannot identify with these great players maybe your daughter just doesn’t like golf (which is fine!) or maybe she’s just picking up on the racist tendencies you exemplify. NHL, MLB and NBA have players who don’t speak great English. Young people don’t seem to mind.
  
  Reply Report comment
Golf golf golf

May 29, 2019 at 8:37 pm

I hope this ends Hack Haney’s career.

Reply Report comment
- 2putttom
  
  Jun 3, 2019 at 1:50 pm
  
  if anything his prediction was correct so, he has that goin for him.
  
  Reply Report comment
Byron

May 29, 2019 at 8:34 pm

It’s the LKPGA Tour…right?

Reply Report comment
Justin L

May 29, 2019 at 8:02 pm

Wow, he says something that is absolutely correct and he is being lambasted for it.
Oh my I might offend someone. I better be careful of what I say. FO

Reply Report comment
- gendut
  
  May 29, 2019 at 8:17 pm
  
  agreed
  
  Reply Report comment
- Steve
  
  May 30, 2019 at 7:55 pm
  
  So you also think every Korean golfer is named, Lee?
  
  Reply Report comment
Dave r

May 29, 2019 at 7:46 pm

Oh Hank really.

Reply Report comment
Mums

May 29, 2019 at 7:34 pm

From what I’ve listened to on his radio show on xm, HH comes off, imo, a bit of a douche. I am surprised he didn’t mention his time with Tiger in this take. There are a lot of Koreans killing it on the LPGA, and, as a smallish country (South Korea), really kicking ass. His take is glib, but idk if it is racist or sexist. Obviously, economic reasons dictate coverage, so it is unlikely the pedestrian golf fan will be as acquainted with the women’s tour as with the men. It is what it is…

Reply Report comment
Rich Douglas

May 29, 2019 at 7:27 pm

C’mon, Hank. That was really ignorant.

Yes, the LPGA is dominated by Korean golfers, as a group. But it used to be dominated by American golfers, and no one made a big deal about that.

Adding insult to injury, you made fun of them because you can’t remember their names, like it’s their fault you’re not paying attention. And the nonsense about “Lee” was really over the top. If it had been a bunch of black golfers you named “Leroy,” it couldn’t have been worse.

BTW, the most common Korean surname isn’t even “Lee.” It’s “Kim.”

No, Hank, you’re not a racist. You’re much worse. You’re an insidious bigot, assuming the rest of the world should be as you understand it, and if you don’t, it’s their fault. I’m sure you’re a nice guy and you meant no harm, but that’s really the point, isn’t it? For once, take a lesson instead of giving them.

Reply Report comment
TexasSnowman

May 29, 2019 at 7:21 pm

he’s not wrong; but he is a douche.

Reply Report comment
Jack Nash

May 29, 2019 at 6:32 pm

Wee is still playing golf? Didn’t know. I bet Nike is pi$$ed that they’re still paying and not getting any promo value.

Reply Report comment
- Rich Douglas
  
  May 29, 2019 at 7:28 pm
  
  “Wie.” She’s injured. It’s odd that you have a problem with that.
  
  Reply Report comment
  - Jack Nash
    
    May 30, 2019 at 7:21 am
    
    No problem with injuries. She was Mia prior to them. I suppose you knew that too.
    
    Reply Report comment
Bogeypro

May 29, 2019 at 6:17 pm

Snowflakes got triggered. He’s not wrong.

Reply Report comment
Geoffrey Holland

May 29, 2019 at 6:05 pm

Hank just had his big miss. Good riddance to nasty losers.

Reply Report comment
dtrain

May 29, 2019 at 5:37 pm

Ha, Michelle Wie is angry because he wasn’t including her as one of the Koreans he favors.

Reply Report comment
Tiger

May 29, 2019 at 4:53 pm

I mean he isn’t wrong…

Reply Report comment
dj

May 29, 2019 at 4:26 pm

Comments like those make him appear to be a douche

Reply Report comment
The dude

May 29, 2019 at 4:15 pm

It’s a PC world we live in….enjoy

Reply Report comment
2putttom

May 29, 2019 at 3:01 pm

Geez ! if this is the full story then lighten up.

Reply Report comment

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