Tiger Woods Yells 'Jesus Christ!' at Photographers at British Open
Professional golfer Tiger Woods is the subject of a recent video that shows the athlete using God's name in vain after taking his backswing on the 18th hole at the British Open.
Woods was in the middle of his backswing when his intense focus was interrupted by the clicking of photographers' cameras. In response, a defeated-looking Woods dropped his club mid-swing and yelled "Jesus Christ! Guys!" at the photographers.
Along with the camera clicks interrupting Woods' focus, the athlete was also visibly irritated by the large mass the photographers had formed, mere yards away from where Woods was set to hit his ball at the 18th hole. Woods had already backed down from his ball once due to the distraction, and was about to hit his second shot on the par 5 when he uttered the Lord's name in vain.
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The entire incident, from Woods' exclamation to his look of irritation, was captured by ESPN cameras. As Larry Brown Sports reports, the British Open is considered to be an extremely difficult golf tournament that can evoke the worst of players' tempers. At the British Open in 2010, Woods was caught on national television delivering an array of expletives after missing a put on the 13th hole.
Also this week, Swedish professional golfer Henrik Stenson became so frustrated at the 17th hole at the British Open in Hoylake, England that he snapped his golf club in two on his knee. Stenson, who is known for having a fiery temper, was apparently displeased that he was unable to remove his ball from a thick rough.
The British Open, one of the four major professional golf tournaments and the only major tournament held outside of the U.S., is considered to be a highly competitive and difficult event, as the winner of the weekend event takes home an $8 million purse.
As of Thursday, Woods had shot 69 in the first round of the golf tournament, a close mark to when he shot 67 in the first round of the British Open back in 2006, when he won the tournament.
Along with Woods, Rory McIlroy, of northern Ireland, also had a successful first round at the tournament, ending with a score of six-under-par 66, thus setting the pace for the rest of the competitors this weekend.
