Butch Harmon Is Retiring From Broadcasting And Tour Life

Butch Harmon is by most accounts one of the very best swing coaches connected to the game. He recently announced that he was burned out from the constant travel and will teach predominately from his home base in Las Vegas. Butch’s stable of players is an impressive Who’s Who of golf including Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson, Dustin Johnson, Rickie Fowler, Greg Norman, Ernie Els, Jimmy Walker, Brandt Snedeker and LPGA star Danielle Kang.

Golfweek’s Forecaddie with the details.

Harmon recently told his stable of players that he is “done on Tour” and that he wants to cut back on traveling, according to two associates close to the coaching legend. They spoke on the condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the matter.

Harmon turns 76 on Aug. 28. He plans to continue teaching at his home in Las Vegas, where he lives with his wife, Christy, but will not be a regular presence out on Tour going forward.

The son of 1948 Masters champion Claude Harmon, Butch has been the most prominent teacher in the game for more than a quarter-century. He famously guided Tiger Woods to eight major championship wins before they split in 2003. 

Butch also plans to sign off on his broadcast career as he reduces his commitments. He has worked as a TV analyst for Sky Sports at major championships for more than two decades, but two of his Sky colleagues confirmed that he will appear on air only at the Masters in 2019. 

It was one helluva run. But the only commodity we all really treasure is time and at some point you reassess your priorities.

At age 76, the grind understandably got to be too much. Good for him to be aware enough to scale back.