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Golf

Tiger Could Do Worse Than to Keep Dropping F-Bombs Until the PGA Tour Does Its Job

Posted Apr 01, 2008 9:30AM By Ryan Wilson (RSS feed)

Filed Under: Golf, PGA

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Two weeks ago, Tiger Woods had just won his fifth consecutive tournament dating back to last season, and the predictably implausible storyline was if the world's best golfer would ever lose again. Eight days later at the CA Championship, Woods finished fifth.

The new story, though, wasn't about the winner of the CA. It was about how a photographer snapped Woods mid-backswing, and Woods snapped -- after flinching -- calling the perpetrator a "jackass", before offering some free advice.

All of which served to highlight an obvious point: Tiger Woods -- that red dot in the sea of humanity above -- is dogged by larger galleries, more photographers, some of whom have no business being credentialed.

Some people don't want to hear this, and Woods' actions elicited polarizing responses from FanHouse readers. Casual fans made the argument that golfers are somehow less skilled at their profession because unlike, say, a baseball player trying to hit a 95-mph fastball, they operate in a noiseless vacuum.

Leave aside the fact that decorum and common sense make it clear that silence is as much a part of golf as raucous crowds are a part of college basketball, for example. If this were at all true, don't you think good baseball players would be abandoning the MLB to make fortunes as great PGA players?

"OK," you may say, "A click in Tiger's backswing may matter. But what are you going to do? He's always going to be swamped by media."

True enough, but it's not the guys from Getty and the AP who are the problem.
It's usually the local photographers who've never taken photographs of golfers or who don't know the protocol.

Anyone who knows anything about golf knows you can't so much as chuckle, move, breathe, bat your eyelashes or whisper when one is in his or her backswing. But the photographers that cover these events when they come to town don't necessarily know this stuff.
Which begs the question: why doesn't the PGA Tour step in and do something? They'd have you believe they are already.
"We are constantly working on ways to improve the process," [PGA Tour Vice President] Votaw said. "If we find someone who consistently has an issue we revoke their credentials."

Votaw added that the credentials of one person were revoked last week at the CA Championship.

"(Woods) may have more problems than other players because he gets bigger galleries," Votaw said. "His persona is such that people want a picture of him."
Well, it's time to find a solution to this little conundrum. Until the PGA does something, Woods will continue to be portrayed as something of a spoiled brat who lashes out when he performs poorly. That would almost be OK, if detractors would acknowledge that Woods endures a disproportionately large share of the gallery-created, flinch-inducing distractions.

There are countless other golfers who have suffered similar fates but we seldom hear about it. And you know why? Because nobody notices when another player gets angry that his playing partner fidgets.

Was Woods within his rights to drop f-bombs in earshot of the gallery? Probably not. But the incredulous "What about the children?" pleas are a bit much, frankly. Go to any sporting event, even (especially) ones that permit fans to yell and scream at their leisure, and you'll hear much worse (and with more frequency) than Woods' two-sentence tirade. This doesn't condone Woods' actions, and I'm certain he'll retain his "Most Fined PGA Golfer" mantle as a result, but if nothing else, it offers some perspective.


Ultimately, though, this isn't about Woods. It's about the PGA Tour controlling those they credential to cover their events. The fact that the tour doesn't have mandatory pre-tournament meetings explaining to local photographers what is and isn't acceptable on-course behavior is unconscionable.

During the 2006 Masters Tournament, then-chairman Hootie Johnson went to unprecedented measures to insure photographers didn't disrupt the players.
[After n]o photographer fessed up [to snapping shots during Phil Mickelson's backswing on 18 during Round 3] ... Masters officials took the rare step of not allowing anybody to use tower [on the 18th hole] in the fourth round. Never mind that the vantage point for years has provided memorable photos of champions teeing off for their 72nd hole.
Somebody should make sure PGA Tour Commissioner Tim Finchem see this. If he doesn't Tiger should go headhunting.

Previously on FanHouse
Tiger Explains Why He Will Break Your Neck for Snapping His Photo Mid-Backswing
Is Tiger Woods PGA's Most Fined Golfer?
Tiger Woods Will Break Your Neck if You Snap a Photo in His Backswing

Tags: phil+mickelson, PhilMickelson, rory+sabbatini, RorySabbatini, tiger+woods, TigerWoods, tim+finchem, TimFinchem

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