He walked with the same confidence those of us who cover golf have come to recognize as he entered the carefully designed room, with presidential blue draping covering most of two walls, illuminated by a very professional TV lighting setup. I guess presidential should be emphasized, the person who did the setup did the same things for President George W. Bush.
I was covering a meeting of financial analysts and CEOs in Boca Raton when the emails and texts started fluttering in about the Tiger statement. Shortly afterward, it was determined that Reuters had been invited to attend and that I had been given the nod to shoot it.
At that time, only three agencies had been invited (AP, Bloomberg and Reuters) and one pool video camera.
It turned out a little differently, with Getty joining the group. The still photographic participants, who met early on Friday, included Eric Gay with Associated Press, Sam Greenwood of Getty Images, Jacksonville photographer Lori Moffett representing Bloomberg and me for Reuters. We gathered at the Marriott Sawgrass Convention Center, located about a mile from the TPC Sawgrass clubhouse, where the event was held. We were ‘registered’ by PGA employees, our drivers licenses checked, and we received special credentials labeled ‘pool media’.
It had the feel of a Secret Service wrangling. Where the pool participants are identified, and then placed in a ‘holding room’ prior to a specifically timed and coordinated departure. Reporters from AP, Reuters and several other organizations joined us. The only thing missing was the checking of our gear and the presence of a four-footed friend.
