Open faces problem over cameras
Monday, 24 July 2006 16:22The death of a spectator from a heart attack is one reason mobile phone cameras will probably not be banned from the Open championship.
Winner Tiger Woods complained about the number of times he or playing partner Sergio Garcia were distracted in the last round at Hoylake.
But David Hill, director of championships for the Royal and Ancient, said that while the situation will be examined, the incident on one of the practice days will make them think long and hard about a future ban.
An elderly man was declared dead on arrival at hospital after collapsing on the course in the 100-degree heat, and Hill said: 'The alert came from somebody with a mobile phone and the response team was there within two minutes.
'You have to consider that people like to have mobiles with them for matters of urgency and have needed to get medical attention quickly.'
Woods said of the disturbances: 'We had it every hole. We've never seen anything like this before.
'It wasn't the professional photographers, it was the gallery. Cameras or camera phones kept going off while we were over the shot or preparing to hit the shot or even hitting the shot.'
European Tour chief referee John Paramor said of the camera issue: 'It did cause problems. We pleaded with people and a few responded, but we are going to have to try to discourage spectators using them in future.
'We need to make them realise that the professional photographers take better pictures and it's a better to get one of their shots from a magazine or newspaper than one of their own stupid out-of-focus ones.'
