What student did Butch Harmon learn from the most? It wasn't Tiger Woods

It doesn't matter how many interviews Butch Harmon gives, it seems that the famous pastor is always a new nugget of interesting information.

Although retired from full-time Tour life, Harmon, 80, remains active at the Golf School that bears his name in Henderson, Nev., just outside Las Vegas.

Harmon has coached many of the world's best players, both men and women, during his career, but his ten-year stint with Tiger Woods is what people often find most interesting, because it goes hand in hand with the most successful golf. Woods' career, from 1993-2002. During that time, Woods won eight majors and 34 Tour events.

During a recent interview with Scottish broadcaster Iona Stephen (“On the Road with Iona” on YouTube), Harmon opened up about his life and career, but one answer was particularly revealing.

Stephen asked Harmon which of his students revealed the most about him.

Harmon thought the rhythm.

“Wow, that's interesting. I never really thought about that,” he said. “Maybe Greg. Greg Norman is one of the greatest players ever. He won't get credit for it, because he only won two majors and the disaster he created or someone else created against him in the majors. This guy has won more than 80 tournaments around the world. He was the best driver of a golf ball with a driver wood that I have ever seen.

“But because he had many other businesses – his wine business, his soy business, this business of his – if we only had two, three hours to work, if I fly to Florida and stay with him at his house and we go out. for the Award to work, it was 100 percent business. And he made me a lot better in the way I did my job when I had four, five, six players. He taught me how to budget my time to make sure I'm given 100 percent, and when the time comes to have more time with each player. So Greg really made me better at my job than I thought I was before, just because I learned from him the way he organized his time and everything he did.”

Harmon, who began working with Norman in 2021, said Norman's skill with the persimmon driver is unparalleled.

“It's too bad that he doesn't get the credit he deserves because God was good,” he said. “No one could drive the ball with a persimmon driver like him. He could put it 300 yards to any side of the fairway he needed. He had an amazing short game that people don't see.

“But I learned more about myself from being with him and he really created that for me,” Harmon continued. “I learned from him and that helped me a lot throughout my career.”

For more from Harmon, check out the full interview with Stephens here.

Golf.com Editor

As a four-year member of Columbia's first varsity golf class, Jessica knows how to outrun everyone on the golf course. He can pass them through the office, too, where he is primarily responsible for producing both print and online features, and overseeing major special projects, such as GOLF's first Style Issue, which began in February 2018. His first interview series, “A Round With,” released in November 2015, and appeared in both magazine and video form on GOLF.com.