Hank Haney wants to set the record straight: Yes, he still works as much as he always has with Tiger Woods, the world's No. 1 player; and no, Woods isn't the erratic driver everyone makes him out to be.

"It's an illusion made up by the media," Haney said. "Of the top 30 players in the world, only two are more accurate off the tee, and that's Steve Stricker and Jim Furyk, and they drive it 284 yards. Of the top 30 players in the world, Tiger Woods is No. 1 in total driving. Those are the statistics."

In other words, even the perceived weakness in Woods' daunting game -- a balky driver that produces the shot Woods likes to call "fore right" -- isn't a weakness at all. Haney was making this observation two weeks ago, at the Pittsburgh Golf Show at the Monroeville ExpoMart, where he was appearing in his dual role as director of instruction for the International Junior Golf Association.

Indeed, Woods ranked 12th in driving distance (302.4 yards), 152nd in driving accuracy (59.8 percent) and 45th in total driving (distance and accuracy) last year on the PGA Tour. But Haney is also quick to point out that Woods is playing in tournaments where the field is not watered down and on courses where the fairways are more narrow and the course setup is more severe.

"This illusion that his driving is poor ..." said Haney, shaking his head and not finishing the sentence. "You have distance and you have direction, and distance is the most important thing in golf to determine potential. It's a geometry issue -- when you're longer, you're not going to be straighter.

"When Tiger finds a weakness, he works to make it a strength. He worked really hard on his short game this winter. He felt that was his biggest weakness, getting up and down, especially his sand game."

Whatever it was he worked on in the winter, Woods has found the right solution. He has won his past six starts worldwide and the past four on the PGA Tour, a streak that could be in jeopardy at the Arnold Palmer Invitational. He has won three of his past four stroke-play events by an average margin of 7.7 shots, and he blasted Stewart Cink in the Match Play Championship, 8 and 7.

Haney has worked with more than 200 touring professionals in his career as an instructor. But his only pupil now is Woods, with whom he began working in 2004 after Woods split with Butch Harmon following a nine-year relationship. And, oh yeah, 142 kids at the IJGA academy at Hilton Head, S.C.

He is not surprised by what he is witnessing.

"He just works so hard at it," Haney said. "He's so focused, and he practices incredibly hard, but right now this is the most focus and determined I've ever seen him, to be honest with you. Obviously, he's a great player, but he keeps striving to get better. That's the thing that makes him so unique."

There was much speculation last season that Woods and Haney were on the verge of a professional divorce, primarily because Haney was not traveling to some late-season tournaments to give on-site instruction to his star pupil. But Haney cut back some of his travel because of health issues with his wife and remains Woods' chief swing advisor.

"I work with him as much as I always have," Haney said.

Just for the record.

Trivia

In the 42-year history of the Arnold Palmer Invitational (formerly Bay Hill Classic), only two players have repeated as champion. Tiger Woods is one. Who is the other? Answer at end.

Deer Run changes hands

At a time when Jack Nicklaus (Nevillewood), Arnold Palmer (Treesdale) and Gary Player (Diamond Run) were building designer courses in Western Pennsylvania, North Hills businessman Fran Magister hired architect Ron Forse of Uniontown to quietly build him a less expensive but equally challenging daily-fee course in Gibsonia.

What he designed was Deer Run Golf Club, an upscale public facility that measured more than 7,000 yards and quickly developed into one of the best daily-fee courses in Western Pennsylvania. It was a layout built on 227 acres of rolling, wooded terrain and featured a practice range, putting and chipping area and a clubhouse with locker rooms and dining room -- amenities not often found at most public facilities.

"We did a good job, I think," Magister said the other day. "It was challenging, but it was fun. I think we had a great golf course."

Still do, although Magister, 78, is no longer involved. After 14 years, he sold the course for approximately $3 million to a family -- Lars and Mary Eckberg of Cleveland -- that also owns Copper Top at Cherokee Hills Golf Club in Valley City, Ohio. With the sale comes a name change: Deer Run will now be known as Pittsburgh National Golf Club.

Their top priority: Rebuilding all the sand bunkers, tweaking the layout to return the conditioning to country club-like standards and installing a Global Positioning Satellite system in all the carts.

Dissa and data

• Jim McGrath, long-time head professional at Youghiogheny CC, has left to become head pro at Greensburg CC.

• Quicksilver GC in Midway has hired Dave Brown as head professional, replacing Sean Parees, who went to Shadow Lakes CC.

• Craig Yutzy has been named head professional at Hidden Valley Four Seasons Resort in Champion.

• Scotch Valley CC in Hollidaysburg has named former Bedford Springs Resort assistant David Long as head professional.

• New Castle CC will host an American Junior Golf Association tournament July 14-17, an event featuring many of the top junior players, nationally and internationally.

Trivia answer

Loren Roberts won the Arnold Palmer Invitational in 1994 and 1995.