Believe it or Not, Tiger. You are Famous.
It all started with a shanked tee-shot on the first tee of the HSBC Champions tournament in Shanghai, China. After that one golf swing, Tiger Woods decided to remind everyone exactly how much of a jerk he can be.
"The guy in the grandstand basically did almost a photo sequence,” Woods told reporters after finishing his opening round with a 5-under 67 at Sheshan International Golf Club in Shanghai, China (Boston Golf Examiner, 2009).
Oh, come on Tiger! Is this news to you? Hey, guess what... you are famous, and 99% of the people in attendance want to see your shining, happy face. Best way for people who aren't at the tournament to see your ugly mug? Photos!
Don't look now, but it gets even worse:
The craziness continued for about the first hour, with marshals trying to stop fans from snapping pictures and wandering inside the ropes. At one point, the caddy for Woods’ playing partner, Thongchai Jaidee, walked ahead to move a photog out of the way of his player’s shot.
The commotion finally began to calm down as Woods neared the turn. "Not for the first six or seven holes, no,” Woods told the U.K’s Telegraph. “But after that, yeah."
It's painful to read. I swear to everything holy, it is hard to read now. I understand how players get distracted by the shutterbugs on the course, but can't you basically expect a few in your backswing by now? Last time I checked, cameras weren't invented last week.
This isn't the first time Woods has complained about movement, cameras, or anything else during tournament play. Acts of frustration and anger usually follow an errant shot, many times to the point where Woods approaches the culprit on the sidelines appearing madder than hell. Far be it from me to comment on how the best player in the world chooses to swing a golf club, but for crying out loud get used to the attention.
