Romano becomes prize pupil

Ray Romano famously played a Newsday sportswriter on TV, but is he enough of a golfer to look like one on the course?

Yes, said his instructor Hank Haney, whose work with the star of "Everybody Loves Raymond" is featured on the Golf Channel series, "The Haney Project."

"He's pretty darned good actually, definitely above average, no doubt about that," Haney said on a conference call this week to promote Romano's appearance in the American Century Celebrity Golf Tournament in LakeTahoe next month.

"Some of the golf writers are pretty good. Sportswriters [in general], I think Ray would take most of them," said Haney, who stepped down recently as Tiger Woods' swing coach.

At that point, Romano interjected to one particular sportswriter: "I'll take you on any time you want, what's your handicap?" When he was told it is a 10, Romano replied, "You give me . . . I'll play you straight up, I don't care."

It is not clear how serious that challenge was. Check here for more details.

Romano spoke of sneaking on to a pitch-and-putt in Queens, then graduating to Clearview, Douglaston and Marine Park - a public-course pedigree that he also shares with most sportswriters.

Haney is confident that Woods will bounce back completely. "I just feel like once he gets his mind free and his body is injury free, he'll be back playing golf like everybody knows he can," the coach said.