I don't want to make excuses for Tiger because, frankly, he's getting along just fine without my help. But he's the most scrutinized golfer on the planet, which means larger galleries, more media coverage, and, unfortunately, more photographers. If you were watching Sunday's on-again, off-again weather-delayed final round, you might've glimpsed Woods' olé on the ninth hole. It's seldom you see Woods finish his backswing with just one hand on the club, but that's exactly what happened on the par 3. And it had nothing to do with the lake that ran along the entire left side of the hole.
Nope, it was something much more sinister: somebody snapped a photo on Tiger's downswing. Not good.
'Jackass!'' [Woods] yelled as he dropped a hand off his follow-through and that usually effortless, smooth swing suddenly seized and turned into something ugly. ...Couldn't agree more. Look, I get it, photographers want to get the shot. But really, how many times does it have to happen before the tour steps in? During the 2004 U.S. Open at Shinnecock, Woods' caddie, Steve Williams, dispensed a little vigilante justice and was subesquently ripped for it.
Woods had some choice words for the photographers who were shadowing him as he walked from the ninth green to the 10th tee. ''The next time a photographer shoots an [expletive] picture,'' Woods warned, ``I'm going to break his [expletive] neck.''
From the Washington Post.
Woods was standing on the second tee during the final round Sunday, when he was bothered by the noise from a spectator's camera. His caddie turned and marched angrily 25 yards over to a section of the gallery, where he plunged three deep into a crowd of people, and pulled the offending camera away from a spectator, who turned out to be an off-duty police officer. The rest of the gallery responded with uncomfortable murmurs.That was the highlight of the '04 Open for me.
Trigger-happy photogs, a-holes who sneak in cell phones, people who yell "get in the hole", Rory Sabbatini -- they should all be summarily executed sans trial. I think that would send the message. And give that righteous Sally Jenkins something to write about.
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Reader Comments ( Page 1 of 3)
1. ya know- Ray Floyd approached me @ a local tourney and cussed me out thinking I took a picture(circa 1987) and it was the guy near me. You tempermental li'l wusses, Go make a foul shot with the game all tied @ the Metrodome in the final game of the NCC Championship on a COURT and not a Course(curse)-period!
Posted at 8:24PM on Mar 24th 2008 by teach
2. Oh, so now it is the fault of some poor photographer because the great Tiger wasn't perfect in winning his 6th tournament. You guys in the press need somebody like Tiger in order to not look like bumbling idiots. If you had to talk about all the pros on the PGA, you might have to do some work instead of just gushing about Tiger. Boring media!!!
Only ones who know what they are talking about are Johnny and Nick.
Posted at 8:42PM on Mar 24th 2008 by houchens
3. The point is that there is a standard that is to be adhered to. The top professional photogs who actually know what they are doing do it right. Its the wannabes who screw it up. Just another example of how courtesy adn respect have become a lost cause in this day and age.
Posted at 9:01PM on Mar 24th 2008 by jeff
4. I think this just proves that golf is not nearly in the same category when it comes to other sports. The fact that a single camera click can throw off the greatest golf has to offer in his effort to swing at a stationary object, and cause him to go into a childlike tirade, while say a baseball player has to stand at home plate with 50,000 fans screaming and chanting, and still be expected to swing at a baseball heading toward him at 90mph shows that there's just no comparison between the actual "sport"ness of golf and the major ones.
Posted at 10:08PM on Mar 24th 2008 by tien
5. The photographer who got under Tiger's skin ahould realize that atheles to be at their peak performance don't need distractions like this. If Tiger did break that person's neck then sign him up for the WWE and called Hulk Woods.
Posted at 10:59PM on Mar 24th 2008 by George B Vieto
6. wait...
"The next time a photographer shoots an [expletive] picture"...
What is this expletive that begins with a vowel??
Posted at 3:21AM on Mar 25th 2008 by Miss Gossip
7. "expletive" starts with a vowel you moron
if you are going to be so stupid to pick on a writers grammar, you should know the rules yourself
you can't say "a expletive" even if "expletive" is in parenthesis referring to some other word,,isnt there a message board for english teacher wannabees?
as far as this photo thing goes, i agree with the people who talk about foul shots and baseball pitches, but it is against the rules to take pictures of a golfer mid-swing, so its unexpected, rule breakers should be penalized...
Posted at 8:56AM on Mar 25th 2008 by James
8. I agree with tien, and disagree with teach. Lights flicking on and off during a foul shot, or fans waving their towels is a steady, time consistent background.
A flash of light and a loud click at the top of an otherwise harmoniously silent backswing is something all together different.
Try dropping your club at the top of a backswing the way Tiger normally does when he's distrcted and you'll appreciate how Tiger's nerves of steel are far superior than 99.9% if not 100% of all NBA foulshooters.
Posted at 9:13AM on Mar 25th 2008 by mike stuart
9. Those that are most critical of Tiger Woods and the game of golf mostly likely have never played the game and couldn't hit a golf ball if they tried. Those that don't consider Pro Golfers as athletes should take the time and follow one for just one day. Granted not all Pro Golfers follow the same routine, but the majority are up before the sun, in the gym, then its on the range for 50 to 100 practice shots, BEFORE they tee it up and WALK 18 holes (which is usually at least 4 or 5 miles of up and down terrain), then its back to the range and some hit the gym after that. That's just one day, they do that 5 to 6 days a week. It ain't a friendly round of golf at your public course, riding in a cart, sipping a few cold ones with your buds. Ever been in a very quiet room when someone suddenly sneezes or drops something and it makes you jump. That is the same thing as when it is SUPPOSED to be quiet on a golf course and all of a sudden, right before the second of impact, there is a click and flash in your eyes. It isn't like baseball, basketball, or football where thousands are yelling and screaming. It is SUPPOSED to be quiet, its the way the SPORT of GOLF is played. To Criticize Golf, Golf Pros, or how the game is played just shows how little you know about a GREAT GAME.
Posted at 11:57AM on Mar 25th 2008 by rworksga
10. I love to watch Tiger play, and I believe him to be a great athlete as well as a caring giving person. His only fault is when he hits a really bad shot (not often) and says "gd it, Tiger!" on national TV for al the kids to hear.
Posted at 12:16PM on Mar 25th 2008 by Ed Hill
11. Boo hoo hoo. Someone took Tiger's picture. Were you watching Tiger's play on Saturday and Sunday? The fact is Tiger was struggling this weekend and was frustrated, we've all been there. He's the number one golfer in the world who can't go anywhere without someone taking his picture. It should come as no surprise that there would cameras at a major tournament. I dare say that if Tiger was leading by a comfortable margin, as was Ogilvy, the sound of the camera would be a none issue. Stop sucking up and making excuses, Tiger's probably not going to invite you to the next family cookout.
Posted at 1:23PM on Mar 25th 2008 by todd buchanan
12. If you would like a laugh, link to the Washington Post column from 2004 described above. In addition to the comments about Tiger's and Steve Williams' behavior, the piece is all about how Tiger is struggling and no longer seems to be the great golfer of earlier days. Remember, this column was written three years ago. Shows how much they know, right?
Posted at 2:14PM on Mar 25th 2008 by Steve from Sacto
13. If Tiger wants to be the best he has to learn to be the best. Things are going to happen. We don't live in Utopia, why should he to make millions when the rest of the US is wondering how to pay for our next tank of gas? I don't see Nike giving me millions because I'm a normal guy and guaranteed in better shape than Tiger and I'm almost twice his age!!!! He plays golf, a given, but do you think at some point, insurance companies and ad agencys would get together to show that the normal person in the world can also make them some money? Show them my ass and they can be that way too with a bit of work, lower insurance costs, get us to stop paying millions of dollars to them so they can give it to Tiger? Believe me, I wasn't always the weight lifting, arobic taking, eat lettuce guy like you may think I am at this point, I was very atheletic until a bump in the road. I'm not against Tiger tossing out the F-bomb, I do it myself but if you want to bitch about it, do something. Get in shape, stop watching golf and get out there and do it. We may not be as good as him but I'm sure our total income makes his look like crap. Don't take anything away from him, he's damn good but if he wants Utopia, go find it amongst 17,000 cheering fans at a hockey game, 100K at a football game, or 40K at a baseball game. They don't need total quiet at performing their jobs. Get on with it Tiger, live the life that we do as most of us are worried about our jobs and making a living. Deal with it. I could say more
Posted at 2:47PM on Mar 25th 2008 by cntrfldr025
14. And another thing, I'm never going to buy another Nike item as long as I live, they can give all their money to "Mr Wonderful." If you all follow me, or people that feel as I do, we can stop this .190 average making 7 million a year, 3 goals, and giving up 70, 1000 yards making 10 million when the big boys in front of them make crap, 30 points a game and take 50 shots? When are we going to come to our senses? Oil companies saying "the prices went up because of supply and demand" and them making 40 BILLION dollars a year? I'm not a politician but this is a way I can voice my opinion. If I were to run and be elected as President of the United States of America, I could guarnatee you I would be assinated in less than a year only because I wouldn't do anything different to the public, it would be the change that would happen in government that would cause some insurgent to want to take my life. The current options you have are politicians, that's all they know, politics and making way for themselves. Put a businessman in the office, let him run it as a business as it should be. As for Tiger, he has more money than God, a beautiful wife and daughter, go to the sunset young man, you have it all, you don't need more.
Posted at 3:08PM on Mar 25th 2008 by cntrfldr025
15. 1. Stop putting the cameras in his face if you know he, like another player, is going to cuss.
2. Snatch the cameras at the gate and kick anyone off of the tourney grounds who uses one.
Posted at 3:58PM on Mar 25th 2008 by Rich
16. In the past pro golfers have used alot of profanity on national tv. Its about time for the PGA to start finig them for their actions. Kids look up to them and when the see or hear their tirades then the follow these things. In other sports cameras flash and click and these pros get used to it. Tiger Woods needs to stop crying and get on with his game. If he can't stand that type of pressure then get his #$&*#@ out of the game!
Posted at 4:02PM on Mar 25th 2008 by Phil Bodie
17. How come a High School kid can shoot a free throw with all of the noise in a high school gym and these pansy ass golfers can't hit a golf shot when they hear "click"?
Posted at 4:13PM on Mar 25th 2008 by OK
18. Just proves that Tiger is a class act, if he wasn't he would have ripped the guys lips off...
Posted at 4:22PM on Mar 25th 2008 by Joebillybob
19. try playing while the cell phone is ringing
Posted at 9:13PM on Mar 25th 2008 by hookmrl
20. I think I may have a solution to this rude behavior of clicking cameras and yelling "Go in the hole" or "You the Man" while a golfer is swinging.First of all true golf fans hate this kind of behavior and I have to believe 90% of the people at a PGA Tour event are true golf fans. Obviously when one of these episodes occur there a number of true golf fans near the idoit who did the deed.This culprit needs to be identified and humiliated. The fans should form a circle around him[ I have never heard a woman yell]and coral him until a Marshall can come over and spray paint him with a green fluorescent paint, marking him for the rest of the true golf fans.I don't think he would hang around the course very long. It would also be a great deterrent for others.
Posted at 11:31AM on Mar 26th 2008 by craig