Tuesday
Feb192008
"The crowd isn't the problem. It's the media that tries to get out on the golf course"
An unbylined Tucson Citizen story reports that Tiger Woods played a practice round Monday and noted this about his security.
According to one of those assigned to keep the peace during the tournament this week, Tiger has extra security.
"Some you can see, some you can't," said escort Russ Perlich.
Tournament organizers assigned extra escorts, too, but the crowds usually maintain their distance, Perlich said.
"The crowd isn't the problem. It's the media that tries to get out on the golf course," he said.
Since when has there ever been a problem with too much media on a golf course? Particularly one that no one likes to walk, much less visit.
Tuesday, February 19, 2008 at 07:41 AM 10 Comments | in 2008 Northern Trust Open, Golf Media, Tiger Woods 
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Reader Comments (10)
...wouldn't know bomb from a basketball.
At Westchester a number of years ago I was about a half a hole from Tiger and had some overzealous Tour credentialed bozo come up and hassle me over a small duffle I was carrying. Had worn a rainsuit into the venue and brought an small/empty duffle that I put the rainsuit into as the day heated up. He tried to throw me out until I took the rainsuit out and put it back on and said "look, empty bag, that illegal?" Asked him if he understood the concept of "discretion" and he literally did not know what the word meant. Not 30-feet from me there was a guy carrying a giant backpack and the bozo said nothing. Walked past the loser an hour later carrying the duffle and he said nothing. PITA.
ES
If the media [photogs] are such a "problem" -- which is NOT Tiger's word -- how would Woods' handlers feel if publications started Photoshopping the logos off his clothing in any pictures we use?
BTW, I wish the TV heads would stop blaming the pro photographers every time someone interrupts Woods' swing with a shutter click. Most of the time when I've been out there following him, it's someone in the gallery taking a picture with a cheap camera. Or a locally-based photographer who's not accustomed to shooting golf tournaments.
And what media are out there during a Monday practice round? My guess it would be mainly a bunch of locals who don't see Tiger week-in, week-out, like most national writers. It's not like he's going to pause mid-round to make a statement or answer questions.
4p
Once again, 4p hitting three off the tee for even suggesting Photoshop when that is a violation of the the Tour's credential agreement and the Tour readily provides player head shots without hats, visors or visible logos to the media as is.
Oh, and the presence of Nike/Buick logos have nothing to do with photographers' behavior. Oh boy, Stevie yelled at me - I will get back at him by censoring Tiger's photo! Like that wouldn't have a domino effect on the publication's well-being.
We used our file photos instead.
And I was only speaking in jest when I mentioned PS'ing photos. We would never alter a news photograph.
And the Tour and any other body that runs a major knows full well how many photogs they credential. If it was truly a problem, they'd follow Augusta's lead.
4p
As for all the media inside the ropes, just a pet peeve as a viewer and it is so obvious that Augusta does it the right way. The gallery doesn't really like it either when they have a spot staked out for hours and when the leaders come through their views are blocked by the entitled throng usually claim that they are just doing their job. Well, that job wouldn't exist if there wasn't a gallery. Not all of them are like that of course, some are courteous enough to kneel or stand under bleachers/tv towers...but it definitely happens too often.
02.19.2008 | UofAusedtobe
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So I was right about Ross Perlich being a local. Sounded like one.
Whether his reputation is beyond reproach is not relative. He in his role as a "Conquistadore" has no business speaking for Woods' camp or having his personal opinions about the media and its behavior appear in print as if he were a legitimate source. If they are having problems with the local media, it's their own fault.
4p