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Butch Harmon has had a storied career as a teacher to some of the biggest names in golf.
Harmon, now 81, is the son of Masters champion Claude Harmon and the famed instructor who coached Greg Norman and Tiger Woods to world No. 1, as well as countless other players, such as Phil Mickelson and Rickie Fowler.
Although he opened a golf school at Rio Secco GC in the Las Vegas suburb of Henderson, Nevada, in 1997, Harmon finally closed the facility in 2024.
Still, Harmon has no designs on full retirement, as he's been helping Sky Sports with its Masters coverage at Augusta National this year.
When asked during the network's Masters preview what player Harmon wishes he could have worked with, he had a rather interesting answer.
"That's a good question," Harmon said. "I never solicited any job. People always called me. But there was one player. with two majors that I thought that I could make better. That was Retief Goosen.
"Because Retief Goosen, as great as he was, fought a hook under pressure, especially with a driver, and he would hit pulls that would cost him winning tournaments."
Goosen, of course, had a wildly successful career even without Harmon's tutelage, winning a pair of U.S. Opens and sticking in the top 10 in the Official World Golf Ranking for six years. He was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame in 2019.
But Harmon thinks he could have helped Goosen to even an even loftier summit.
"I always felt that if he had asked me to take a look at his swing, I would say, here's what I think you should do, and I think this will make you even better than you are," Harmon said. "I never had that opportunity, but that's probably the one that I regret. I didn't have a chance."
Harmon added that when he attends events like the Masters, he's still roaming the grounds, looking to watch the world's best in action.
"When you see me on a driving range, if I'm not with one of my players, I'm watching everybody," he said. "Because I just love to watch great players swings and everybody's swing is different, and I just watch."
This article originally appeared on Golfweek: Masters 2026: Butch Harmon on two-time major champ he wished he coached
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Harmon, now 81, is the son of Masters champion Claude Harmon and the famed instructor who coached Greg Norman and Tiger Woods to world No. 1, as well as countless other players, such as Phil Mickelson and Rickie Fowler.
Although he opened a golf school at Rio Secco GC in the Las Vegas suburb of Henderson, Nevada, in 1997, Harmon finally closed the facility in 2024.
Still, Harmon has no designs on full retirement, as he's been helping Sky Sports with its Masters coverage at Augusta National this year.
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When asked during the network's Masters preview what player Harmon wishes he could have worked with, he had a rather interesting answer.
"That's a good question," Harmon said. "I never solicited any job. People always called me. But there was one player. with two majors that I thought that I could make better. That was Retief Goosen.
"Because Retief Goosen, as great as he was, fought a hook under pressure, especially with a driver, and he would hit pulls that would cost him winning tournaments."
You must be registered for see images attach
Goosen, of course, had a wildly successful career even without Harmon's tutelage, winning a pair of U.S. Opens and sticking in the top 10 in the Official World Golf Ranking for six years. He was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame in 2019.
But Harmon thinks he could have helped Goosen to even an even loftier summit.
"I always felt that if he had asked me to take a look at his swing, I would say, here's what I think you should do, and I think this will make you even better than you are," Harmon said. "I never had that opportunity, but that's probably the one that I regret. I didn't have a chance."
Harmon added that when he attends events like the Masters, he's still roaming the grounds, looking to watch the world's best in action.
"When you see me on a driving range, if I'm not with one of my players, I'm watching everybody," he said. "Because I just love to watch great players swings and everybody's swing is different, and I just watch."
This article originally appeared on Golfweek: Masters 2026: Butch Harmon on two-time major champ he wished he coached
Continue reading...
