Fans have ample opportunity to take pictures during practice rounds. And while cameras aren’t allowed on the course during tournament rounds, I don’t think Tiger would even care as long as pictures weren’t snapped while he was in mid-swing.

We love Tiger because he’s the greatest winner of our generation, but criticize him for getting upset at something (not in the realm of competition) that hurts his chances of winning?

A camera click is going to prevent him from winning? Really? That is pretty hard for me to believe… especially if he is supposed to be the “greatest winner of our generation”.

You don’t think a camera click at the right time could cause an errant shot? Couldn’t one errant shot cost him (or any player) a tournament win?

Have to stand with Matt, CD. Golf isn’t a game of constant sound like football, baseball, basketball, hockey, or football. It is a game of quiet where sudden, unexpected noises can play havoc with your brain and body. While I can understand the excitement of the people in the galleries – golf is still the game being played, and these people need to turn off the cameras and phones.

This is the kind of behavior that made Tiger stop playing in Scottsdale – and it will keep people from playing in China if it continues.

In reading the entire interview, not just the abbreviated quotes you posted, Tiger didn’t seem too upset after the round. He mentions that he does expect it to happen, chalking it up to less experienced golf crowds and crediting the marshals for doing a good job overall.

From: http://www.asapsports.com/show_interview.php?id=60243

Q. What about playing in China? Is it a unique experience?
TIGER WOODS: No doubt. There’s certainly a lot of people out there. There was a lot of people moving and things. We had to stay pretty focused. The marshals did a good job of helping us out and giving us an opportunity to play.

Q. Do you feel like sometimes that gives you an advantage, because you almost uniquely have to deal with that more than any other player?
TIGER WOODS: Well, I think it’s a disadvantage here, because there are so many people with cameras here. The other groups probably don’t have to deal with it as much as we do. But as I say the marshals did a great job helping us out, and security. It was awfully nice of them to work that hard to help us out.

Q. The cameras at the downswing, were you expecting that?
TIGER WOODS: The guy in the grandstand basically did almost a photo sequence. I flinched on it and I hit it straight to the right.

Q. And did it get better after that?
TIGER WOODS: Not for about the first six or seven holes, no. But after that, yeah.
A lot of times when we play overseas, it kind of gets that way, and you know what you have to expect. But as I said, the marshals did a great job helping us out today and were really trying to give us an opportunity to play. It wasn’t just me. It was all three of us in the group.

Q. You’ve spent this week talked a lot about wanting to grow the game in China and obviously you are doing it from the grass roots level; people here don’t just actually appreciate what should go on behind the ropes.
TIGER WOODS: I wouldn’t say that. I would say that there’s no history yet.
The populous has not played golf long enough to understand yet, and that takes time. There’s a lot of countries we’ve played in that’s the same way, but over time as they get more experience and more people playing the game and really understanding what the game is all about, then it doesn’t happen as much.

people I know of. I believe the overwhelming majority of them wish to follow rules and not cause a problem in any way, shape or form.

Obviously, the tournament hosts failed to do even a marginal job of announcing a ‘no camera’ policy, either well in advance, on the tickets themselves or large signs in parking entrances and every entrance to the course.

Stephanie Wei once told me (only joking) the average Chinese sports fan is always packing two cameras at all times. Their regular one and one in a ankle holster for emergencies.

Trust me, they were not advised either at all or strongly enough.

Also, if you feel a golfer should address the ball and then wait for either a ‘click’, a series of clicks or no click at all, you are just flat out wrong. My opinion, of course…