A wide view of the 18th

Every year I am hired to photograph the Sony Open.  I’ve made a bit of a name for myself shooting golf as I’ve done it for a few years and I learned from some of the very best shooters.  Stan showed me how to sit on the first tee and get great, clean tee shots, Chris showed me how to position myself for anticipation, Sammy showed me how to walk up and down the course, and Grayson showed me how to hustle.  I mean hustle.  So I know my golf or at least pretend to.

Do I like shooting golf?  Eh…  Its tough shooting round after round of golf for days on end and when we had more than one tournament here, it was super hard to get motivated to follow these super sensitive” golfers for hours on end.  By the end of any tournament, the last thing I want to do is be out in the sun, see grass, or anything to do with little white dimpled golf balls.  I usually stay sick for a few days after as all the sun, pollen, pesticides, and the weight of my cameras breaks me down.

Yet, I get a shot like this and it all feels worth it all.  Its not the best but it sure makes me feel I can really see the world happening around me.  Sure, its just a sports shot, and not a great one at that, but to know I walked up and down a course for four days in the rain, sun, and humidity carrying three cameras, a heavy 400mm lens while slathered in sunblock…and get a shot like this…makes me feel like I’ve come along way from time time I first walked into a club house.  Thank you, you men of golf, who taught me how to see golf…and thank you Steve Grayson…not a golf tourney goes by here in Hawaii without your memory recalled in laughter, professionalism, and fear.

Did anyone ever hear the chimp story between him and Sammy?  HA!

If many of you don’t or didn’t know Steve Grayson, he was a great GREAT man who knew his photography.  He once said he was one of the only photographers who was able to walk through South Central LA during the OJ riots with camera and taking pictures.  I mean, look at him!  Would you mess with that man?!?

Grayson sent me this shot of him and the hotties of the golf world.  I bet those women were more happy to be seen with him that him with them.

In January 2008, Grayson passed away.  Its been three years now and we still talk about that man of men, a giant among us who crawl through the grass to get that shot.  We will always remember your bad plaid shorts.