Fans of golf know that the sport is full of traditions. If you win the Masters, you get a green jacket and the right to pick the menu at the next year’s awards banquet. If you win the LPGA’s Kraft Nabisco Championship, you jump into the water hazard on the 18th hole. These traditions aren’t just related to winning, either. If you play a round at the Merion Golf Club, you’ll notice all the pins are topped with wicker baskets instead of flags. Golf’s a kooky sport!
But even the most diehard club-heads (not a real term) might not know about this tradition. If you participate in the WGC-HSBC Championship, held annually at the Sheshan Golf Club in Shanghai since 2009, you’ll get to (have to) take some awkwardly staged promotional photos.
Want to see a bunch of multi-millionaire PGA golfers forced to pose for cheesy advertisements, like they own a local carpeting store? Read on!
Crouching Tiger, Hidden Mickleson
Photo Credit: Sports Gambling Podcast
The tournament began in 2009, and so did the promotional photos. Now, when you think about a peaceful and cerebral sport like golf, what sort of other activities do you associate with it? Sword combat, obviously!
Back then, the two best golfers in the world were Tiger Woods and Phil Mickleson, (don’t Tweet at me please). Which is probably why they decided to stage Tiger and Phil SQUARING OFF in an epic game of Xiangqi, a Chinese game often compared with chess that both American golfers clearly knew how to play.
Photo Credit: Sports Gambling Podcast
Sometimes in life you gotta think several steps ahead of your opponent, whether you’re playing Xiangqi or coordinating your multiple affairs.
Pole Position
Photo Credit: Golf News Net
In 2013 the tournament went back to the military well, this time asking golfers to wield some authentic Chinese pole weapons. Here, golfers Ian Poluter, Jason Dufner, Justin Rose, Mickelson, and Rory McIlroy channel the natural ferocity that can only be achieved by hitting a tiny ball into a cup for a living.
Photo Credit: Golf News Net
Someone’s been reading their Art of War!
Photo Credit: Golf News Net
Rory McIlroy would literally rather be anywhere else.
This Little Light Of Mine
Photo Credit: Golf News Net
Sometimes the organizers of this event incorporate an aspect of Chinese culture into their promo photos, and in 2014, the fellas all got to hang lanterns. Pictured here are Rose, Bubba Watson, Martin Kaymer, Rickie Fowler, and Adam Scott, who all look like it’s their first day working at Pier One Imports.
Four Guys, One Drum
Photo Credit: Golf News Net
You ready to ROCK?! In 2015, Henrik Stenson, Fowler, Jordan Spieth, and Watson absolutely SHREDDED on a ceremonial Tanggu drum, all at the same time. What does this photo look like to you? A middle school marching band that could only afford one drum? The world’s worst boy band? Let your imagination run wild!
Photo Credit: Golf News Net
Later, everyone got their own drum, which only makes me wonder why they took the other photo at all. I have never been more confused.
I Believe I Can Fly
The first rule of showmanship is you always gotta top yourself, and by golly, in 2018 they did just that. With 2017 winner Hideki Maruyama onstage with his trophy, event organizers had his challengers literally swooping in to try and take it.
Photo Credit: Golf Digest
At the time, Dustin Johnson was the top-ranked golfer in the world, so it’s kind of impressive he would agree to go all Cirque du Soleil like this. You can almost hear him thinking, “If they drop me, I will sue them so hard.”
Photo Credit: Golf Digest
Meanwhile, Stenson channeled his inner Magneto.
Photo Credit: Golf Digest
Never let anyone tell you golf is boring.
h/t: Golf News Net