Had the opportunity to photograph during the pro am/practice round of the 2012 Canadian Open in Ancaster, Ontario. Lot of fun, and an interesting experience – it was my first PGA event!

Used the Canon 5DM2 and the 70-200 F4.0 IS exclusively, and chose to try and get the same ‘pose’ for each golfer of note – because I felt like it, you can’t do this from Thursday through Sunday!

Staked out a spot at the top of a big hill at the 17th tee. This vantage point also looked down on the 16th green and part of the 15th fairway. Interesting to see how the pros differ in their approach, both to their game and the fans! Most were very nice, but a few seemed like they wanted to exist in a bubble. Like in life, these guys all have very different personalities.

Most of these speak for themselves, and don’t require any commentary (consider it an opportunity to put a face with a name!). But some do!

Again, click on the images for larger views (click twice for the largest view).

Here is Billy Andrade walking the 17th:

Kyle Stanley:

Robert Garrigus:

D.A. Points:

The main event sponsor was running a contest where young golfers could play a hole with each of the foursomes (the foursomes were a tour pro and then three people paying like $6,000 each for the round). The play-with-a-pro hole was the 16th and I will say that almost all of the pros were really great with the kids and everyone was very patient. Here, Mike Weir tries to add some body-English to get this one to go for his young group-mate!

To me, Mike Weir is a Canadian Hero, I’ll always be a fan, even when he is struggling with his game.

Getting ready for the waggle:

So then it happens… this clown right beside me shoots off a burst of shots on Mike’s downswing (something I would never do). MAJOR TABOO!!! All eyes turn, and because I have the big white lens a lot of eyes land on me (the clown was shooting a Nikon which is black and thus, less conspicuous!). I freak in my head, and start to mouth silently, “It wasn’t me”, but the looks are getting dirtier – then my Canadian Golf Hero looks me in the eye and says loudly – twice – “it wasn’t him” (meaning me!!!) – he could tell as he is a ‘leftie’ and was facing us. Thanks very much for the save Mike (it would have been awful to have had him think I did that).

Everyone went back to being nice again!

Rory Sabbatini:

Hunter Mahan:

Brandt Snedeker:

Charl Schwartzel:

Retief Goosen:

The Friendliest Golfer of the Day award goes to Jim Furyk!

The face of Furyk:

Sean O’Hair

Adopted-Canadian Stephen Ames:

Vijay Singh (cool dude – I’m a fan!):

Ben Curtis:

Tim Clark:

Harrison Frazar:

Camilo Villegas

Trevor Immelman:

Chad Campbell:

Matt Kuchar:

And of course, John Daly smoking up the course:

Daly is still hugely popular, with a big and rowdy entourage!

Artistic crop – “Grip and Rip”!

And, from a completely different interest of mine, a fairly rare sighting (for me at least) of a DC10 (probably served long and hard in passenger service) – more like this to follow in another post…