Nationwide Golf

Nationwide Tour money leader Michael Sim grimaces after narrowly missing an eagle before sinking a birdie putt on the 18th green to tie a course record 9-under par at the final round of the Nationwide Tour's Athens Regional Foundation Classic at Jennings Mill Country Club on Sunday, April 19, 2009 in Bogart, Ga.

Any photographer worth their salt can make a decent golf photo. Its all about being quiet, positioning, being quiet, pushing the button and being quiet and a little luck on 18.

So after 5 days of this earlier this month, fighting fire ants and the sarlac monster and sunburn, i made some nice-ish photos. Nothing amazing in my book, but it was interesting being the only person shooting the tournament from my paper.



Patrick Sheehan celebrates on the 18th green after sinking a birdie putt to win a sudden-death playoff to win the Nationwide Tour's Athens Regional Foundation Classic at Jennings Mill Country Club on Sunday, April 19, 2009 in Bogart, Ga. Sheehan birdied two of the final three holes to force a playoff with Australian Michael Sim.



Bob Burns chips from the slope of the ninth green at the final round of the Nationwide Tour's Athens Regional Foundation Classic at Jennings Mill Country Club on Sunday, April 19, 2009 in Bogart, Ga.



Robin Freeman tees off on the 9th hole during the second round of the Nationwide Tour's Athens Regional Foundation Classic at Jennings Mills Country Club on Thursday April 17, 2009 in Bogart, Ga.



Nationwide Tour money leader Michael Sim fights the sarlac monster hits out of a sand trap while practicing for the Athens Regional Foundation Classic at Jennings Mills Country Club on Wednesday, April 15, 2009 in Bogart, Ga.



Staffers sort out bibs for Thursday's start of the Athens Regional Foundation Classic at Jennings Mills Country Club on Wednesday, April 15, 2009 in Bogart, Ga.



Ryan Lavener putts on the 18th green during the Athens Regional Foundation Classic's Pro-Am Tournament at Jennings Mills Country Club on Wednesday, April 15, 2009 in Bogart, Ga.



Jeff Gove tees off on the fifth green during the Athens Regional Foundation Classic's Pro-Am Tournament at Jennings Mills Country Club on Wednesday, April 15, 2009 in Bogart, Ga.

Golf is a four-letter-word

Brendon Todd flips his club after hitting into the bunker off the fifth tee during the final round of the Athens Regional Foundation Classic at Jennings Mill Country Club in Athens on Sunday, April 20, 2008.


I've never professed to being a golf fan by any stretch of the imagination. Mini-golf and putt-putt is more my speed. It's what i enjoy. (That and I'd love to see the PGA pros get past 18 at Fantasia Gardens and not get wet in the process)




Brendon Todd hits out of the bunker onto the 18th green during the final round of the Athens Regional Foundation Classic at Jennings Mill Country Club in Athens on Sunday, April 20, 2008.

That being said, i spent 3 of the past 4 days walking the course at Jennings Mill Country Club, playing "chase the leaders." Apparently, I'm bad luck because everyone i followed for more than one hole had a really bad day while i was following them.



Fran Quinn flips his putter in frustration after missing a putt on the 16th green during second round play at the Athens Regional Foundation Classic at Jennings Mill Country Club in Athens on Friday, April 18, 2008. Quinn challenged for the lead at 7-under-par heading to the back nine but finished at 5-under-par.

Photographing golf is a bit of a challenge. We kept in communication with our sports guys through text messages. I got all the leaders on day 1 thanks to some dumb luck as well. For the most part, you're out on the course in the middle of no-mans-land with as much water as you can carry, sunblock and whatever fruit you can carry as well as a 2 cameras, a 400mm lens, an 80-200mm lens and a 17-35mm plus a crap load of memory cards. Plus you have to move fast, watch where the ball lands and maneuver into a shooting position and not be on their line to the hole all before they address the ball. Oh yeah, and you're not really allowed more than one foot inside the ropes.



Bubba Dickerson chips onto the 17 green during the final round of the Athens Regional Foundation Classic at Jennings Mill Country Club in Athens on Sunday, April 20, 2008. Dickerson finished at 8-under-par.

People like Robert Beck and Gary Bogdon are some of the best at golf. How them manage to do that week in, week out and still make "different" pictures is beyond me. I tried to get some different shots but after awhile, it seemed to go into the shots over and over. Perhaps exhaustion and dehydration killed the creativity.



Greg Owen walks to the 8th green during the final round of the Athens Regional Foundation Classic at Jennings Mill Country Club in Athens on Sunday, April 20, 2008.

And at the end of the day, it came down to a sudden-death playoff on 18. The guy couldn't look any less exuberant about winning. Perhaps it was his 7 hour drive home to Orlando that he was thinking of. Either way, there was a complete lack of jube. The people in the back make the photo more than his fist-pump.



Robert Damron pumps his fist as he sinks a putt from the fringe of the 18th green to win a sudden-death playoff to win the Athens Regional Foundation Classic at Jennings Mill Country Club in Athens on Sunday, April 20, 2008.


I think the goose had the right idea....



A canadian goose sleeps near the 16th green during second round play at the Athens Regional Foundation Classic at Jennings Mill Country Club in Athens on Friday, April 18, 2008.



Fran Quinn tees off on the 12th hole during second round play at the Athens Regional Foundation Classic at Jennings Mill Country Club in Athens on Friday, April 18, 2008.



Spectators watch the play on the 13th green during second round play at the Athens Regional Foundation Classic at Jennings Mill Country Club in Athens on Friday, April 18, 2008.