BMW PGA Golf Championship

At Wentworth a couple of weeks ago I managed to get the K5IIs into the course (by carrying it in my hand through the ticket area - they must have thought that as it wasn't a C@non or N*kon it wasn't a camera ) only to discover (after an hour or so of overtly shooting) that cameras were not allowed So on the second day I was slightly less overt, and took just a careful few. Here are my favourites - there are few more on my Flickr stream. C&C welcome - all taken with K5IIs and DA55-300

Garcia repairs 18th green


IMG_4771C by Andrew~H, on Flickr

Simon Khan putts on 18


IMG_4841E by Andrew~H, on Flickr

Lee Westwood strides up 18


IMG_4829 by Andrew~H, on Flickr

Westwood lines up his putt on 18


IMG_4843A by Andrew~H, on Flickr

Think this chap saw my camera!


IMG_4818E by Andrew~H, on Flickr

Edoardo Molinari heads up 18


IMG_4783S by Andrew~H, on Flickr

Miguel-Angel Jimenez on 17th fairway

I'm not a golfer but those are excellent shots, a really good advert for the camera and lens pairing you used. No prizes for guessing where that 'chap' was concealing his camera...the whole shebang.

Nicely done.

Indeed, a very good set.

Best regards

As a golfer, I think your out of order using a camera on a competition day. Though these are nice shots.

Thanks for the positive comments - I was pleased with the k5IIs and 55-300 combination.

Why? None of my shots were taken in any proximity to players, and certainly did not disturb them in any way, shape or form. Others were not so discrete and were trying to photograph players as they were teeing off, not to mention all those waving phones with cameras around. I'm not being funny, but I'm a golfer too - these are professional players playing in front of thousands of people, as well as professional photographers and cameramen. Done carefully and with discretion can you tell me where the harm is, please? Once I realised I shouldn't have a camera there it spent most of the time in the bag

Great shots, if no flash is used and your out the way i can't see the harm.

Excellent set

However, can't blame the organisers for not wanting DSLRs. They probably think all shutters are as noisy as some of the Canikons I've been sat next to in a bird hide (p.s. unlike my K-5, my K-x isn't exactly quiet, but in its defense it didn't cost anythinthing like some of those noisy ones I refer to)

Very true Alan, but i bet it doesn't bother the players at all as i'm sure they like to have their picture taken for the publicity as long as its discrete.

The problem is Brian, the money shot is when they are striking the ball. And there's always some who will want it regardless of distracting the golfers at that exact time.

Thank you, gentlemen. Yes, the shot as they hit the ball *is* the one we'd all love, but the course marshals were certainly very anti members of the public taking pictures of players as they teed off. Rightly so in my book, it's their living, and one shot can make all the difference. The K5 is quiet, I was at a good distance, and made sure I was discrete - certainly no use of a flash! If I'd been anything else I believe I would have been asked to leave!

I think the ban is protection against the idiots who have no concept of subtlety, and who aren't bothered. I was certainly less obvious than the professionals, the 55-300 is a nicely packaged product!

I think you have a good set of images and as long as the golfers teed off and weren't teed off you did a good job. I still think of golf as a complicated way of talking a walk and much preferred the nineteenth hole

A very good set of images, well taken. I am a golfer and have no issues with the type of shots you've taken; I don't think you would have disturbed any of the play with these.

Regards
David