Tiger Woods of the U.S. hits from a sand trap on the 12th hole during the second round of the PGA Championship at Valhalla Golf Club in Louisville
Tiger Woods of the U.S. hits from a sand trap on the 12th hole during the second round of the PGA Championship at Valhalla Golf Club in Louisville, Kentucky, August 8, 2014. REUTERS/John Sommers II

Tiger Woods ended his professional association with Canadian coach Sean Foley on Monday, Aug 25. The U.S. golfer had a four-year-long training relation with the golf instructor that had started in 2010.

Woods published an official statement on his website, where he thanked Foley for having been his coach. He also thanked the Canadian for the friendship they shared. Woods wrote that Foley was "one of the outstanding coaches in golf today." He said that he knew that Foley would be able to continue his successful tenure with other players whom he was working with. Foley has earlier coached PGA professionals like Hunter Mahan, Parker McLachlin and Sean O'Hair.

Woods' statement on the website also said that it was "the right time to end" the professional relationship he shared with Foley since he would not play his next tournament before the World Challenge in Orlando in December 2014. Woods earlier pulled himself out of the upcoming Ryder Cup tournament at Gleneagles due to back injury.

Woods' association with Foley coincided with a troubled period when his personal life was marred with multiple scandals. In Jan 2010, he was reportedly admitted to Pine Grove Behavioral Health and Addiction Services in Mississippi for being treated for his sex addiction. He gave a TV interview in February to confirm undergoing a 45-day therapy programme. His the-then wife Elin Nordegren got divorced with him in August 2010 after he had repeatedly confessed about his infidelity.

Foley started working with Woods in August 2010 itself after Hank Haney, the American golfer's coach for seven years, had resigned. Foley spoke with ESPN to express his feelings about the dissociation with the champion golfer. "This is not a bad day, not even a sad day. It was a complete honour to work with him, and he couldn't have been better about this," he said, "If anything, I'm so grateful for what I was able to go through with him. These sorts of things are inevitable. Like in any industry, people part ways."

Woods earlier declared that he might take a couple of weeks to recover from his injury and start playing again.

Contact the writer: s.mukhopadhyay@ibtimes.com.au