The Deserters
What trophy? Golf media flees Shell in Tiger Woods press conference rush
Anthony Kim — one of the most charismatic emerging stars on the PGA Tour — and Vaughn Taylor — who's playing for his Masters life — are taking their duel down to the final holes of the Shell Houston Open. You'd just never know it from looking around the media center at Redstone Golf Club.
The national and international press in town have been trickling out of here all day and there's hardly anyone left to see who wins now. In fact, this is arguably the most deserted the media center has been all week — even though the tournament is coming to that (usually-important) conclusion. This is the exact opposite of most tournaments when Sunday — trophy-lifting day — garners the most attention.
Who can afford to stay though?
The golf event of the year is taking place at 1 p.m. (CST) tomorrow at Augusta National. That's when Tiger Woods will participate in his first real press conference (he'll actually answer questions from a mass group) since that wild driveway ride. This is all any assigning editor in his right mind cares about and even the slight chance of a flight delay or possible missed connection put golf writers on edge. No one wants to hear that you missed Tiger to see the finish in Houston.
The Australian contingent was gone by noon. Many others simply failed to show at all for the Houston Open's final round.
When armageddon approaches, who can concentrate on mere golf?
Of course, if you do want to know what happens in the Houston Open, you can always stay tuned to CultureMap for reports from the course. We never abandon our town.