Tiger’s only got himself to blame
TIGER WO O D S ’ – when you’re playing well, you
don’t hear anything. complaints about
Woods complained about camera phones are
mobile phones when The Open another example of was last played at Hoylake in
2006, and they were subsehow he is a victim of his
quently banned until 2012. own success.
Every player deserves that courBut that won’t happen now. Everyone wants to catch a tesy. The R&A have embraced techglimpse of Tiger in the flesh and But I don’t have a problem nology and they want to improve he always has the largest gallerwhatsoever with people using the experience for spectators on ies following him at every tourtheir cameras when he’s walking the course. nament he plays. off the tee or up to his ball. A ban on mobiles and cameras
Throw in the TV cameras, I followed Bubba Watson on would be a backward step. Fans radio reporters, analysts like Thursday and he had to step can follow the action on their myself, photographers and maraway a few times because he was smart phones and there is free shals and it’s a veritable circus. put off by TV cameras. Wi-Fi all over the course.
With all those people around At the Ryder Cup in 2012, Eagle-eyed viewers at home him, it’s no surprise that someBubba and Ian Poulter wanted will also have noticed that digital one wants a memory of when the noise of the fans on the first scoreboards have been introthey saw the great TigerWoods. tee and teed off while they were duced on every hole to keep peo
He may get fed up with it at cheering. ple updated. times, but it’s a compliment to While Graeme McDowell said The R& A have made a conthe 14 Majors he’s won. he was put off when the crowd scious decision to move with the
I didn’t follow Woods round suddenly went silent as he was times as they enter the electronic Royal Liverpool on the first two taking the first shot! era. days, but this problem about Think of the 16th at the tournaThe stands at Hoylake are full camera phones wasn’t an issue ment in Phoenix, where 15,000 and people are spending less for Phil Mickelson, Adam Scott fans gather round the par-three time following groups round. or Justin Rose. and make tremendous noise. They want to sit in the stands,
I can honestly say I’ve not Fans cheer if the competitors keep one eye on a specific hole noticed anything out of the ordihit it onto the green and boo if and watch or listen to what’s nary. It only seems to happen in they miss it. It’s like a football going on elsewhere on their Woods’ group. crowd, but players embrace it! phones.
If anything, part of the probBubba didn’t seem to mind the However, you want to keep lem is the entourage thatWoods noise at Medinah but he wasn’t track of the action, and let’s hope brings with him. They are super so keen on it here when he wasn’t we’re set for a thrilling afternoon. sensitive to anything to do with playing so well. The Champion golfer will be ‘their man’. He was struggling with his the player who deals best with
But obviously spectators game and, like any golfer, he was everything The Open throws up should not take a photo of Tiger looking for any little excuse for – wind, bad bounces, and now when he is lining up to play. his troubles. It’s the old story camera phones! As he always told his and address position. who was more than happy players, ‘The answer’s in Bob was so patient that to spend hours working on the dirt, son.’ he was happy to stand and his game.
It wasn’t for everyone watch all day if necessary to That paid rich dividends though, as some shied get his message across. for them as Padraig won away from Bob’s relentless He helped countless three Majors in the space of work ethic. players over the years and 13 months.
He didn’t need video although he wasn’t my Bob (right) had been ill technology or the latest coach, he gave me a few for a while, but my thoughts gadgets. He was an oldtips down the years. and prayers are with his fashioned teacher who But his greatest work was wife June, Sam and all the focused on the ball flight with Padraig Harrington, family at this time.