Tiger Woods made the following comment during the final round of the CA Championship last weekend when a photographer took a shot in his backswing:
The next time a photographer shoots a f****** picture on my backswing I’m going to break his f****** neck.
He apologized for the threat, but not the language. That sounds about right. I don’t have an issue with cussing, especially when playing a competitive sport. It’s just not a big deal. I’ve never sat courtside at a professional basketball game or stood on the sideline of a football game, but I would imagine language can get a little uncouth.
Golf being tagged as a “Gentleman’s Game” is a blessing and a curse. On one hand the visual is anything but that of what you would imagine fierce competition to look like. There’s a bunch of men in khaki pants and tucked-in shirts that can’t even carry their own bags a few miles. On the other hand, there is no other sport that demands so much of a player and, more importantly, fans and media.
There is a huge burden to shoulder as a golf fan. You have to be conscious of when and where you move at all times. Especially, if you are a photographer inside the ropes late on Sunday.
The photographer failed last Sunday and Tiger didn’t handle it well.