Earlier this afternoon I was given press credentials from my co-worker Erica who had been spending the better part of the day out at the course doing what she does best.
For me, the hand off represented the beginning of my first experience covering the actual tournament from the grounds with all the access, bells and whistles of a credentialed journalist. It was cool as hell.
The media center is extremely functional and well thought out and just cool to be in, as I’m unfamiliar with what more experienced journos might consider as part of their everyday environment.
Since I’ve been here, I was able to set up my laptop and get my shit all squared away in a relatively spacious work station with all the amenities I’m afforded at my usual post—desk space, a chair, wifi and a power outlet.
My first assignment was to interview some wealth management research analyst from UBS who flew down today for the tournament —but he didn’t want to talk about UBS or about golf, or sports in general.
So we sat down for a quick Q&A, he said what he needed to say and I asked what I needed to ask and that was that.
BTW – you can view that Q&A at www.tpcpontevedra.com.
After that my photographer Jesse Jones and I walked over to the clubhouse lawn where Jack Nicklaus was awarded with the PGA Tour Lifetime Achievement Award. It was a beautiful venue and was well rehearsed, but some of the golf fans were pure assholes.
Apparently, some of them were unable to see the venue because the lawn area was raised above the rest of the grounds, and if you didn’t have media credentials or an all-access pass, you had a difficult time seeing above everyone on the lawn—especially over Jesse and I, because we had to stand along the rear fence right in the way of the “common” spectators.
During the entire awards presentation we were essentially heckled by these douche bags because they couldn’t see.
Well fuck them. I was doing my job.
Check in here tomorrow as I’ll be updating this blog post with a photo Jesse took from the event. If he’ll give me licensing for the photo… the bastard…
3 Comments
May 7, 2008 at 7:34 pm
Wow- I am absolutely amazed at that room. It is simply amazing. I am incredibly envious of you right now! To have that experience of being behind the scenes at TPC, ugh!
May 7, 2008 at 8:34 pm
Kinda fun reading your reaction on this, your first entree into the real world of golf reporting. Loved the picture. Hope to hear (and see) alot from you in the future.
May 9, 2008 at 6:49 pm
So are you still moving to thailand? i need to be updated on your life choices at least once a month i think… thats fair.
so lets have dinner sometime in the near soon. if you can work me into your busy journalistic schedule that is. i’ll let you interiew me if that helps…