14 | BEHIND THE SCENES OF A MAJOR
“Inside the ropes” at USPGA
There are some championships
when you wake-up in the morning
and pinch yourself to check that
you’re actually going to work
in what is arguably one of the
best jobs in the world - a sports
photojournalist.
There are other mornings where
you simply cannot wait for the
event to finish so you can get
home, don your favourite pair
of pants and have a quite few
bevies on the balcony away from
everything.
Irrespective of your mood swings,
there’s always an element of “hype”
and anticipation about covering
the US PGA Championship.
For starters we’re all treated like
kings and well looked after. From
the moment you arrive at the
media hotel for registration on
the Tuesday and until when you
leave on the following Monday,
there’s constant pampering and
the endless number of volunteers
to ensure your stay is the best it
can be.
There’s the accreditation bag you
receive upon arrival and aside from
the golfing industry goodies, a
shirt, pad, pens and the odd trinket,
there is one particular goodie
that everyone wants and it’s a
possession that’s highly sort after
by all media professionals.
It’s known as the “Inside the Ropes”
arm band and this modest piece
of polyester can make or break
your championship. This year mine
again reared its beautiful head
upon opening my bag and a sigh
of relief immediately comes upon
you like you’ve won the lottery actually that’s exactly how it feels.
Vision this, trying to get to a
particular point on a course in the
quickest possible time to catch a
player, who is climbing the leader
board faster than a frisky monkey
after its mate and having over
10,000 golfing mad American fans
between you and your prey.
Outside the ropes you have no
chance, inside the ropes you can
miss the crowds and be there to
catch your prized golfer in action
as they close out their round.
This is exactly what we had to
do this year at Whistling Straits
when I went in search of the
Elk as he stormed home in an
attempt to claim his second PGA
Championship title and in the
process become the second oldest
Major winner ever.
The PGA of America distributes
these “bands of importance” out
in military like precision, although
the scientific formulae for their
allocation remains one of those
“top-secret” matters within
the inner sanctum of the elite
personnel of the Match Committee
of the PGA of America.
To actually be allocated one is a
feat in itself. To get it year after year,
you must be doing something
right.
I’ve never asked how it works and I
don’t want to for fear of the answer
and the probable inquiry as to
how I’ve managed to secure one
of these babies for the last seven
years running.
It’s better not to raise your head
above the trench line, rather you
should just continue on working
and as my father says in his words
of wisdom,“Son, keep your head
down and bum up!”
Years of investment, true Aussie
charm and ensuring that you
remain professional at all time
both on and off the course, have
done me no harm during this
time. That and ensuring that the
shutter on my camera remained in
neutral until after the player had
hit his shot, especially around Tiger
Woods’ caddie, Steve Williams, a
notorious photographer hater.
Guys have been escorted off the
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