The562’s coverage of Long Beach golf for the 2023 season is sponsored from Dan and Desiree Gooch.
This is a column by one of our high school interns, Jake Cammarata, about his day at Riviera Country Club and The Genesis Invitational PGA tournament. Cammarata, a senior golfer at Millikan, was a self-starter and did all of the emailing and preparation to go cover this professional event.
I couldn’t believe it. I was sitting on the sixth hole at Riviera Country Club while Tiger Woods putt into a bunker with his fanboy Rob Lowe watching nearby.
It was a long day before that— leaving Long Beach at 5 a.m. to arrive at The Genesis Invitational in time for a shuttle ride over from the parking lot. Other media members looked so official with their suitcases of photography equipment, official press badges and serious looks ready to start their jobs. I had a satchel with one camera, one lens and a paper saying I was permitted on the shuttle. I felt like a kid in an adult’s world.
Since October I’ve only covered a couple of high school games as an intern with The562.org alongside Mike, JJ or Tyler. So to cover The Genesis Invitational at the iconic Riviera Country Club by myself was a huge leap for me.
Once I reached the clubhouse, I had an overwhelming feeling of accomplishment that I had made it into the media center. I was greeted by Greg Ball, who I had been emailing back and forth to obtain my media pass.
“Here are the do’s and don’ts… Stay within an arm’s distance inside the rope,” Greg told me. “Take pictures only after contact with the ball. Don’t talk to the pros or their caddies. Just follow what the others do and you’ll fit right in.”
So that’s what I did. I went down to the range to talk to my Millikan golf teammate, Zach Wood, and watch as the world No. 2 golfer in the world, Rory McIlroy, warm up. His swing is special. His tempo is so smooth and buttery. I strive to swing like him.
Then all of a sudden it was time. 7:24 am. Tiger Woods was teeing it up on hole No. 10. A loud crowd had already formed around the tee box. People dressed in tiger onesies, tiger-striped golf polos and even Tiger’s mugshot screen-printed on tee shirts ready to cheer him on for eighteen holes.
Just outside the view of the golfers, I was accompanied by two other photographers with tens of thousands of dollars of equipment. I asked them both who they shot for and why they loved it.
“Photography is a way to freeze a moment in time and let others relive it,” one of them said. “This job is difficult. I always feel like I have to reinvent myself and my work to get jobs and to get paid what I deserve. Getty Images has ruined the industry because photographers will sell their photos for pennies.”
I mostly followed Tiger’s round, taking in the sounds and moments as I walked the course with the best views. On our way to the sixth hole, I noticed a familiar face: Rob Lowe. I had only recognized the famous actor from Skechers commercials, but I knew he was a big-name celebrity. He sat right next to me videotaping every shot Tiger took. This was weird for me. The superstar celebrity fanboying over Tiger Woods just like everyone else in the crowd. People also started to take note that Rob was there. Fans asked to take pictures with him, and he always said yes.
“Is it weird as a fan of Tiger to be asked to take photos with people when you are a fan like them?” I asked Lowe.
“No. I always get approached by fans, so this is not that different,” Rob responded.
“Do you think you could play golf with this many people watching?”
“I think I would play my best golf. I am kind of a camera guy, and always play better with pressure and in front of a camera,” he answered.
“If that’s true, why haven’t you gone pro?” I joked. He laughed and continued to watch Tiger’s craft in awe.
There were more than twenty people following Tiger inside the ropes: several photographers, sports writers, and fans like Rob. I noticed two, in particular, Dan Rapaport and Dylan Dethier. Both are golf sports writers for Barstool Sports and Golf Magazine, respectively. I became familiar with them in the new Netflix show, Full Swing, where they give an insight on several professional golfers on the PGA Tour. It was special interacting with people I had seen on TV and whose writing I read daily on social media.
After following Tiger, I had walked eight miles and the equivalent of twenty-five stories. I headed back to the media center where they provided free lunch. I do not like turkey sandwiches, but it was all they had, and this was the best sandwich I had ever tasted.
I was recharged and ready to follow Patrick Cantlay, the Long Beach native, around Riviera.
I found him on hole No. 4 where his following gallery was large, but not as big as Tiger’s and his entourage. But that also meant I had clean shots for photos. I followed him for a few holes and then caught up with the other golfer I wanted to follow: The 2019 Long Beach Open winner and current No. 10 in FedEx points, Taylor Montgomery.
Montgomery is a rookie on the PGA Tour and is tearing it up. He has made ten of eleven cuts, eight top 25s, and four top 10s. On Friday, he struggled on the course and missed the cut by one shot.
When a round finishes, the pros walk the 52 stairs of the clubhouse and enter through one door to post scores, while the media keeps on walking. I walked past Taylor assuming I lost my chance to interview him. But he stayed, holding the door open for the caddies and other players. So I fought back my fear, turned around, and asked him if I could get a word after he signed his card. And he agreed.
I waited in the media tent outside the clubhouse. As he walked over to me, he handed out golf balls and took pictures with fans. He gave me two minutes of his time talking about his round and his late efforts to try and make the weekend.
“Just try to play the best I can… Try and shoot under par next time,” Montgomery told me. “Its (my game) has been sporadic, putting, iron play, sometimes chipping. Today some chip shots killed me.”
He birdied 17 and 18 to get back to +2. After the interview, I thanked him for his time and we took a picture. Cantlay came in later where he took questions. I got a fist bump for wearing my Long Beach hat.
My day concluded with that fist bump. Exhausted from walking nearly fifteen miles and almost 50 stories, I was ready to go home.
I learned so much from this experience while getting insight from golf writers, photographers and learning from professional golfers. Also, inside the ropes watching Tiger Woods return to golf at the Genesis Invitational was a fan’s dream come true.
I’ll never forget my day at the The Genesis Invitational.
Below are some of the photos Cammarata took at the event.
