Tiger Woods and his longtime swing coach are parting ways.

Haney announced on his website that he will no longer be working with the embattled golf star.

“I have informed Tiger Woods this evening that I will no longer be his coach,” Haney announced on Hankhaney.com Monday evening.

Haney has worked with Woods for the past six seasons.

Haney called his time as Woods’ coach “my best days in professional golf.” He stressed that it was his decision, and not Woods’, to move on.

“Tiger Woods and I will always be friends,” Haney writes, “but I believe that there is a time and place for everything and I feel at this time and at this place in my life I want to move forward in other areas.”

Haney said he wished his former pupil well in golf and “in finding peace and happiness in all aspects of his life.”

“Tiger knows that if he ever needs me in anyway, whether it be with his golf or just as a friend he can always call,” Haney writes.

Before Tiger, Haney worked with Mark O’Meara. Woods and Haney started working together after Tiger had a falling out with previous coach Butch Harmon.

Cobra Golf announces the introduction of the new Baffler Rail Hybrid, an alternative to long irons offering avid golfers more forgiveness and versatility.

The new Cobra Baffler Rail is a sleek-looking hybrid club that is loaded with technology. Its 17-4 steel clubhead features a thin, high strength 465 maraging steel face that is designed to increase ball speed, and combined with stronger lofts, will bolster distance. The new four-way rail sole is designed to help the club move through turf effortlessly – regardless of the lie. It also comes standard with a lightweight 65-gram Fujikura Motore shaft that is designed to help increase clubhead speed. The Baffler Rail Hybrid is ideal for all players seeking the ultimate in long-game performance.

Innovative Rail Sole
* A four-way rail sole reduces the area of the club that comes in contact with the turf. The result is improved turf interaction, increased versatility and maximum forgiveness.

9 Point Face Technology
* 9 Point Face Technology creates an expanded sweet zone that promotes higher and more consistent ball speed across the clubface, for increased distance and improved forgiveness.

High-Strength Steel Face
* A thin, lightweight maraging steel clubface also promotes faster ball speed and allows for 10 percent of the weight to be strategically repositioned low and back, for improved launch characteristics.

The Cobra Baffler Rail Hybrid ($175) is available in 2/H, 3/H, 4/H, 5/H and 6/H models (nomenclature refers to iron models that Baffler Rail Hybrid replaces). It is available with a Fujikura Motore graphite shaft (Lite, R or S flex) and a Lamkin grip. A women’s model is available in 3/H, 4/H, 5/H, 6/H and 7/H. The Baffler Rail Hybrid is shipping to golf retailers now.

Your prizes will be shipped to you as soon as possible. Please contact rob@spygolfer.com with your current mailing address’. Thank you!

How Do You Celebrate a Masters Win? If You’re Phil Mickelson, You Celebrate By Going To Krispy Kreme Wearing Your Green Jacket!

Phil Mickelson received a $1,350,000 payout for his 2010 Masters win. It looks like he spent some of that prize money at a Krispy Kreme Drive-Thru.

A Phil Mickelson Krispy Kreme photo popped up on Twitter, showing Mickelson and his family at the Drive-Thru of the donut chain. The catch: Mickelson was wearing the Green Jacket he won at the 2010 Masters.

You would think he might be more delicate with what is the most coveted prize in golf, but Mickelson seemed confident that he wouldn’t spill any coffee or donut filling on his green jacket. Even if he did ruin his Green Jacket, he’s got two more at home.

The image of Phil Mickelson at a Krispy Kreme will no doubt endear him even more to golf fans. Mickelson’s image has gotten a major boost from his Masters 2010 win. Several stories have been written praising Mickelson for being a down-to-earth family man, a pleasant contrast to embattled golf star Tiger Woods.

“Now Phil Mickelson reminds all the people who think golf doesn’t matter when Tiger Woods isn’t winning that there can actually be a better story, even at this Masters, than Woods. And sometimes the story is still one of the best and oldest in sports: Good guy wins.” -nydailynews.com

Mickelson’s good guy had taken a hit due to persistent rumors that he had illegitimate child and wife Amy Mickelson had an affair with Michael Jordan. Those sensational Phil Mickelson rumors appear to be false.

The truth about Mickelson may be something much more mundane. He could just an average family man who likes to eat Krispy Kreme donuts in his mini-van with his family.

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Acushnet Company, manufacturer of Titleist, announced Monday that it won a jury verdict in the U.S. District Court for the District of Delaware in its golf ball patent dispute with Callaway Golf Co..

Callaway asserted that previous generation Titleist Pro V1 golf balls had infringed on four patents originally owned by Spalding and subsequently purchased by Callaway Golf. The jury agreed with Acushnet’s position that the patents in question are invalid.

“We are extremely pleased with the court’s decision, and we hope that this finally brings this long standing dispute to a close,” said Joe Nauman, executive vice president, Corporate and Legal, Acushnet Company.

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(And yeah, the flyer is pretty weak. But in this economy we can’t afford graphic designers. Sorry)

It appears that Groovegate is over.

Ping chairman and CEO John Solheim announced Monday that Ping will waive its rights that prevent the PGA Tour from prohibiting the use of Ping Eye 2 irons and wedges that do not meet the Condition of Competition from being played at Tour events.

The waiver goes into effect March 29 and applies to the PGA Tour, Champions Tour and Nationwide Tour. As the request of the U.S. Golf Association, Ping will also apply the waiver to the U.S. Open in June. The PGA Tour will then adopt a Condition of the Competition that does not provide an exception for the Ping Eye 2 irons made before April 1990.

“John Solheim and Ping had a terrific opportunity to do something very positive and significant for the game of golf and we very much appreciate his willingness to take this action,” said PGA Tour commissioner Tim Finchem.

Said Solheim: “We’re thankful for Commissioner Finchem’s understanding of our position and his role in helping bring about this resolution. We all believe it is in the best interests of golf. It levels the playing field on the PGA Tour and resolves a very unfortunate situation that we predicted would happen when the USGA first proposed the new groove rule more than two years ago.”

Ping and the PGA Tour stated the waiver does not take all Eye 2 irons and wedges out of player’s hands as Ping has made versions of the wedges with grooves that conform to the new rule. Those clubs remain eligible for use.

This month’s Spy Chick of the month is from Spike.com. Watch the video for a great golf tip!

A big congratulations to this months winner: algolfer69

You have won a Swami Golf GPS and it will be shipped to you within the week!

To enter, subscribe to SpyGolfer Updates in the upper right hand corner of our website. This months prize is a new Check-Go Pro Sweet Spot Finder and Alignment Machine!

The guys at Bob Burns sent us this “No Bananas 460cc Driver” for testing, and guess what? It was really incredible. At first we thought that it might just be another cheap nock off of the Taylor Made Movable Weight Technology, but we couldnt have been more wrong. Bob Burns truly delivers a high quality and original product when it comes to the No Bananas Driver. We tested it on some of our worst local slicers, and the results were beyond impressive. They were all able to see instant improvements. Their slices turned into fades and straight shots right before our eyes.

Normally we focus on high end equipment, and this driver is no exception. It comes with a new decade style grip, and nice quality shaft, and an awesome monkey head cover. On top of all that, it really will improve your ball flight if you repeatedly slice or fade the ball. Don’t let the funny name mislead you. It’s an awesome club, and you have to try it to believe it!

Eighty to 90% of golfers tend to fade, push, or slice the ball off the tee. Primarily, two factors cause a slice. The clubface remains open at impact, or the swing path is outside-in. The anti-slice technology of the Bob Burns No Bananas Driver can eliminate the slice from your game forever. The design elements center-of-gravity location, face angle, shaft flex, lie, and hosel offset are geared to help you square the face through impact and provide the additional weighting, placed inside the toe and heel areas, expands the sweet spot and reduces clubhead twisting. The amount of left-to-right spin imparted on the ball decreases dramatically, and the result is straighter, more accurate shots. The two-inch deep, incredibly thin face achieves maximum trampoline effect, while conforming to the USGA legal COR limit. Available in both offset and non-offset 310-cc forged head models, the exclusive No Bananas Driver is guaranteed to help you hit longer and straighter. It comes with a Magilla Gorilla head cover, and No Bananas fairway woods and irons also are available with oversized heads and anti-slice technology.

Testimonial

Richard Warnke from Greensboro, Ga US

It works!! My slice has been corrected and I have much more confidence off the tee. I seem to have given up a little distance but it is worth it to be in the short grass rather than in the trees. I would recommend this driver to anyone who has struggled with a sweeping slice.

Check out their site at BobBurnsGolf.com