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Azinger: Swing changes making Woods worse

By WTOP Staff

DOUG FERGUSON
AP Golf Writer

SOUTHPORT, England (AP) — Paul Azinger said Thursday that a quest by Tiger Woods to make his swing better has backfired on him.

Woods has gone through four swing changes with three coaches during his career, each time saying the objective was to get better.

In a conference call for ESPN, Azinger said that in his quest to get better, “I think he’s actually gotten a little bit worse.”

Azinger is a former PGA champion and Ryder Cup captain — and a partner with Woods in one Ryder Cup — who now works as an analyst for ESPN. He will be in the booth next week at the British Open, where Woods is playing a major for the first time this year because of back surgery.

Woods has been stuck on 14 majors since the 2008 U.S. Open. The question on the ESPN call was whether the swing or injuries would be the greater factor if Woods does not catch Jack Nicklaus and his record 18 majors.

“I think one of the big differences that’s very rarely articulated is the fact that while Tiger in his dominance always — for whatever reason — was in this quest to get better, I don’t remember Jack ever saying that,” Azinger said.

“Jack might have made some tweaks and twerks here and there … but Tiger has made astronomical changes in a quest to get better. And as a result, Tiger has actually got a little bit worse. I think we can all pretty much see that.”

Azinger said several golfers have made a mistake changing the swing, but that Nicklaus was not one of them.

“Jack understood that if he could stay the same, he would still dominate,” he said. “Tiger didn’t need to get better. He just didn’t need to get worse. He needed to stay the same and he could still dominate, and in his quest to get better, it’s kind of backfired on him.”

Azinger also questioned why Woods would entrust his swing to two coaches who never competed at a high level.

Woods was with Butch Harmon, who played briefly on the PGA Tour, before turning pro and during his most dominant days in golf from 1996 through 2003. Woods overhauled his swing with Hank Haney and had a two-year stretch when he won 18 times in 34 tournaments, including four majors. He switched to Sean Foley in 2011.

Azinger said that Woods has remained successful is a testament to his greatness as a player.

“I think he’s the only guy who has dramatically changed the way his swing looks and has still been able to play at an extremely high level,” Azinger said.

“When he went from Butch to Hank, even a lay golfer could tell that Tiger’s swing had changed, and he won five or six major doing that. … I don’t know of anybody who’s changed the way they look more than Tiger Woods with respect to his golf swing and still played great. Most people just go away. They disappear trying to do what he’s done.

“It just is a real example of what a great player he has been.”

Azinger just doesn’t understand why Woods changed so much. He suggested reasons as boredom or because of four surgeries on his left knee.

“He may look back and have regrets,” Azinger said. “I know that he’s only worked with one guy that’s played golf at a really high level, and that’s Butch Harmon. And for him to just turn it all over to two guys that have never played on a high level is a bit of a mystery considering how great Tiger was when he did it. I’m not trying to be harsh, I’m just trying to be … I guess it’s more blunt than harsh.”

Azinger has been open with his opinions about Woods in the past. He said at the Masters this year that a difference between Nicklaus and Woods is that players no longer want to copy Woods’ swing. He later that Woods used to be an artistic golfer who now is trying to become an engineer.

Woods missed the cut at Congressional three weeks ago in his return from back surgery. His next tournament is the British Open, which starts Thursday at Royal Liverpool.

“I hope he plays great,” Azinger said. “I mean, I hope he’s recovered from injury. Sometimes you make these changes and it creates injury, as well.”

Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Don’t Settle for Student Loans to Pay for Online Education

By WTOP Staff
Online college programs are becoming a more popular choice for prospective students, with one study finding that more than 6 million students enrolled in at least one online course in fall 2015. The popularity of these courses can be attributed in part to their flexibility with working adults' schedules, students' ability to progress more quickly through online programs and, oftentimes, cheaper tuition. [See 10 low-cost online bachelor's programs for out-of-state students.]Online degrees can be beneficial to many college students, but some studies have shown online learners complete their programs at lower rates than students at traditional brick-and-mortar campuses. Individuals with student loans but no degree comprise two-thirds of defaulted borrowers. Though these numbers are not encouraging, just like for traditional programs, there are ways to reduce how much you'll need to borrow for an online program to ensure you won't become one of these statistics. Don't just settle on borrowing student loans to cover the whole cost of your program and living expenses. Instead, start thinking about how to cut costs and cover your balance in different ways, such as the following. -- Grants and scholarships: Even though you are taking an online course, you can still apply and receive grants and scholarships. But your first step should be to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, commonly referred to as the FAFSA, which will allow you to receive a Pell Grant if your expected family contribution is low enough. The EFC criteria and award amounts are adjusted annually, but the 2017-2018 academic year awards range from $606 to $5,920, which could significantly lower the amount you borrow annually. Your next step is to apply for scholarships. You can start by checking online scholarship search engines, such as the Salt Scholarship Search, College Board's BigFuture and Peterson's. But don't forget to take advantage of local organizations and your school's financial aid office. Both may offer scholarships that you can't find with a national scholarship search. [Review these 10 sites to kick off your scholarship search.]For instance, organizations like the Elks Club, Knights of Columbus or the Rotary Club typically offer scholarships annually to local students. Just because you're going to school online doesn't mean you're ineligible. Visit your local library for scholarship listings, and ask around town. You might be surprised how many local organizations offer scholarships. While these scholarships typically aren't large, every little bit counts. Each dollar you receive in a scholarship is a dollar you don't have to borrow and pay interest on. -- Work-study: Another option for online students may be work-study awards. Not all students enrolled in online programs are eligible, but students at some schools -- including, for example, SUNY Empire State College and Liberty University -- are. Work-study awards are not given upfront like scholarships and grants. In most cases, they are an offer to earn up to the awarded amount if you secure an eligible work-study job. While there is a misconception that all work-study jobs must be on campus, students can work for off-campus, nonprofit or public employers as long as the work is in the public's interest. You may be able to work for a for-profit employer if the job is relevant to your course of study. No matter who the outside employer is, it will need to have an established agreement with your college for you to receive work-study funds. Remember, to be eligible for federal financial aid, you must be enrolled and pursuing a degree or certificate. If you're not working toward a credential, Pell Grants and work-study won't be option, but you may still be able to take advantage of private scholarships -- just be sure to read the eligibility criteria carefully. [Explore what to know about financial aid in online programs.]-- Pay as you go: One of the great benefits to enrolling online is the flexible schedule, which can allow you to complete your college coursework around your responsibilities. But prospective students often overlook using their part- or full-time job earnings as an option for paying for college. Almost 80 percent of college students in 2015 worked at least part time while attending classes, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. By budgeting and thinking strategically about your college costs, you can likely reduce your dependence on student loans by paying a portion out of pocket. Many -- but not all -- online programs are less expensive than traditional programs and often have shorter payment periods. Six, eight or 10 weeks are common course durations. Because of the frequency of payments in an online setting, you may be well-placed to pay as you go and possibly avoid borrowing altogether. Attending college online and avoiding student loans may be challenging, but if you are willing to put in the effort, you can limit the amount you need to borrow. More from U.S. News Q&A: Understanding Student Loan Discharge Eligibility Student Loan Refinancing Isn't Right for All Borrowers
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