"The guy in the grandstand basically did a photo sequence. I flinched on it and hit it straight to the right"

I feel like we've done this before...excessive and ill-timed photo taking of Tiger in China. No?

"There's certainly a lot of people out there," said Woods, after shooting a five-under-par 67 to stand three shots behind the early leader, American Nick Watney. "There was a lot of people ... moving and things. We had to stay focused. I think it's a disadvantage because there are so many people with cameras here. The other groups probably don't have to deal with it as much as we do."

Comments

[Jay Townsend]

And the other groups did not make $10,000,000 in prize money this year either, or $100,000,000 in total earning this year, or go over $1,000,000,000 in total career earnings this year, or....

OK, I think you get my point.

NUF SAID

[thusgone]

"the other guys probably didn't get $10m just for showing up, either."

[Dick Mahoon]

Tiger's used to it, Ross and Thongchai probably aren't.

Where was Mr Steve???

DM

[Wisconsin Reader]

The HSBC is a World Golf Championship event and therefore there is NOT any appearance money being paid to Tiger Woods or anyone! . . . Is it too much to ask that cameras not go off during all players' golf swings? What does annual earned income have to do with whether camera use is correct or not? . . . Perhaps the other players do need to start getting a handicap from Tiger. . . Since actually giving them shots would not seem quite proper in professional events - maybe stuff like noise distractions during Tiger's down swing should be encouraged? . . .

[thusgone]

it's not too much to ask, wisconsin. i just get tired of the hissy fits tiger throws when it does happen. i guess it's a pet peeve of his, but you'd think he'd turn his vaunted mental strength toward blocking it out.

tiger is the all-time greatest, imo, but he has a little bit of princess in him sometimes. the camera clicks are one, and the sand in the eyes from bunker shots is another. watch him when he has to hit a bunker shot in windy conditions. he almost always does this whole over-the-top "sand in my eyes" mime performance. it's like tiger's eyes are the most sensitive eyes ever to grace a golf course.

[Lynn S.]

I have followed him quite a bit. Wind slows him down, he dwells on it. Rabbit ears for sure when the shutter clicks. I have heard him stop and yell when he hears one 30 yards away. I have seen Michelson get pretty mad at camera clicking also. But my question is this, why is this such a problem and the port o toilets clanking in the distance is not?

[Chuck]

I'm on Tiger's side in this. The only worthwhile function that Stevie serves, his only use to mankind, is taking away cameras and throwing them in ponds.

If you run a tournament, you bar cameras during the tournament. And you give out press-photo passes to the few people who will do professional photography. And you carefully instruct every recipient of a press-photo pass how, exactly, they are to behave in a professional golf tournament; this may be the first-ever golf experience for some photographers. After that, anybody who cannot follow the detailed, personally-delivered instructions is fair game, for criticism, ostracism, explusion, and the wrath of Stevie.

By the way, I watched the telecast (I love Renton Laidlaw) and it seemed that at least one player in every group on the course had one or more experiences with photographers. If the photogs weren't snapping in somebody's backswing, they were running around behind the green in the direct line of vision of a player trying to hit an approach, or they were moving around behind a player trying to address the ball.

They need a good old fashioned Cultural Revolution for photographers there.

[keith86]

Just wait till you get to Mexico(Victoria).They have just anounced a ban on step ladders.I had an old 14 footer pimped up with a stubbie holder tapped to the 2nd to top step.Just to get uninterupted shots of tigers backswing.Lucky I have a plan B.The one that must be obayed has been training for two weeks running and lifting weights so she can hoist me up on her shoulders to see tiger hit then sprint to the ball and wait for me, Stevie and Tiges to get there and up I go again.We are very excited,well I am.