As a photojournalist it’s easy to get sucked into the Tiger-trap; spend your day following him and neglect the rest of the field.
When he’s ON his game, he’s electrifying. And when he’s NOT, you wish he was!
After covering Woods extensively for the first two rounds of the Open, I committed to limiting Saturday’s Tiger-time. As luck would have it, I stuck to my game-plan and proceeded to miss his historic run; a 66 that included 8 birdie and three fiery fist pumps (I was repeatedly reminded of this by my peers).
My only saving grace, making it to the 18th as he stood over his second shot with 3-wood in hand.
For your viewing pleasure and my constant dismay, a frame-by-frame playback of my shot that never was.
The scene was perfect for a top-of-the-backswing photo so I switched my camera to silent mode (see frame #4). Even at 75+ downwind yards away, that kid has ears like a hawk and better safe than sorry.
Anyway, all was well until the sixth frame (when Tiger is nothing but a blur). In silent mode my camera only shoots 1 frame per second and could not keep up with him as he made a quick dash to his left and then crouched.
I quickly realized I had to change my settings back to normal (10 frames per second) and…
… Camera away from eye, quick setting change, camera back to eye. Where is he? Other side of tree. Okay got him. Fire away.
What I neglected to notice (clearly), the stupid TV sound guy with the fuzzy microphone in the middle of my frame. While easy enough to crop out, I had arguably lost out on the best sequence of the Open; Tiger and Stevie as they watch the ball cut over the Pacific, land in the narrow trough on the skirt of the green, skip over the bunker and finally come to rest 20 paces behind the pin leaving Woods with a chance at eagle. But so it goes….
Covering Tiger: I’m often asked what it’s like to cover Tiger. As a golfer it’s an incredible experience. As a photojournalist, the nostalgia wears off quickly. Security is tighter, tee boxes more crowded and the overflow of fans makes it exponentially harder to get around.
Inside-the-ropes it’s not much easier. A constant rush and crush amongst the minions jockeying for position on Golf’s perennial superstar. Don’t get me wrong, I love the experience but it takes a lot more time and patience and is often a pain in the ass.
Speaking of, Tiger, when he’s NOT on his game, is a pain in the ass. Regardless of his suit and tie promises, in Sunday red there’s still plenty of moping & sobbing and cussing & flailing of clubs.
A quick quip in this regard: Sunday on the fourth hole, Woods had just jacked his layup drive into the left front fairway bunker. I decide to setup on the right side of the fairway (by the pier) and use the grandstands as my backdrop.
En route I feel my phone buzz (text message) and proceed to respond, with big lens over shoulder, while cutting across the fairway.
Oblivious to my surroundings, I neglected to notice Woods and his escorts walking up on me.
From directly behind me I hear, “f*ck, god damn, mother f*cking, f*ck.”
Bewildered I stop and turn and in the process nearly clock Woods with my 300mm 2.8 as he walks past.
Turns out he had taken a potty break after his tee shot. I guess he needs more time in the john than most of us to cool off.
My favorites photographs of Tiger Woods during the 110th playing of the U.S. Open at Pebble Beach Golf Links.
Checkout all of the action from the 110th U.S. Open at Pebble Beach:
About Golf Chronicles and Allan Henry:
Through Golf Chronicles, the photography of Allan Henry is routinely featured in the world’s leading golf publications and newspaper including: GolfWorld / Golf Digests, Sports Illustrated / Golf Magazine, ESPN, Yahoo!, Global Golf Post, LA Times and USA Today.
As part of a new program specifically tailored to the needs of bloggers covering professional golf, Golf Chronicles imagery is now available to those passionate about sharing their take on the game.
Licensing is affordable and flexible, ranging from single image to unlimited tournament access. Looking for a specific shot, on-demand photograph is available as well. To learn more about this program, please contact.
Prints, for personal use only, can be purchase directly thought the site. Please contact if you are interested in custom and fine-art photography.
Both comments and trackbacks are currently closed.
