Tiger stung by Butch Harmon's comments

Tiger Woods is puzzled about suggestions from his former coach Butch Harmon that the world number one is in denial over his form.

Harmon told Sky Sports television on Friday that Woods, who has not won a major since the 2002 U.S. Open at Bethpage Black, had to accept he was not playing well.

"I don't know why he would say anything like that," Woods told reporters after carding a third-round 73 at Shinnecock Hills on Saturday.

"Obviously he doesn't really know what I'm working on, and he's never asked me. I've never talked to him about it and no one knows.

"I don't understand why he would say anything like that, especially when we've been as close as we are.

"I don't understand where he's coming from. It doesn't do himself or anyone any good to do that."

Woods, an eight-times major winner, parted company with Harmon towards the end of 2002.

"We've resolved everything, I thought," he added. "I thought everything would have been cool.

"Maybe he's just trying to be, on TV, more controversial. I haven't had a chance to talk about it, so I can't say what was on his mind at the time, why he would come out with things like that."

Harmon, who now coaches leading players like Adam Scott of Australia and Britain's Darren Clarke, told Sky Sports: "Tiger Woods is not playing well, he is not working on the right things in his golf swing although obviously Tiger thinks he is.

"He should have felt 'I could win this tournament (the U.S. Open) by six, seven, eight shots'. That was the old Tiger Woods.

"But for him to stand there at every one of his interviews and say 'I am close, I feel really good about what I am doing', I think it might be a bit of denial."

Woods has not won a strokeplay title on the PGA Tour since the WGC-American Express Championship last October, and is without a victory in his last seven major starts.

He has come under increasing media scrutiny over the past 18 months and appears to lack the confidence in his swing that was taken for granted during his pomp of 2000, when he won the year's last three majors.

Woods's aura of invincibility has all but gone and he has struggled with his driving and the precision of his approach play.

This season, his efforts would have yielded a much poorer return had it not been for inspired putting.