It was nice to spend most of December back in the UK catching up on projects and post work. But after a long Christmas break I was ready for the 1st gig in Abu Dhabi.

Traditionally this is where Golf Monthly gets access to the Tour players, shoot cover shots, swing sequences, what’s in the bag and features for the rest of the season. This year was a little different as both myself and Neil Tappin purely focused on Titleist and FootJoy staff players.

Over the last few years the players have become used to our faces and with most of them we are on first name terms and with some it’s nicknames. It cracks Tappers up when Rafa and Bernd call me Muzza!

Getting to know the players in this way has it’s advantages as they are much more relaxed in front of camera and when you’re pushed for time (as we always are) they are happy to give that little extra to get the shot or video content.

We get to shoot on the 9 hole course at Abu Dhabi and the players are buggied out to where we set up our lights. All of the other snappers do the same and there’s a gentleman agreement that you don’t normally muscle in on some one else’s patch.

This year like so many in the past I didn’t get to see a single shot hit on the main course and that’s the way it is when you work to tight deadlines.

Both myself and Tappers left Abu Dhabi on the Thursday lunchtime. I had a 12 hour turnaround back in the UK before I was back at the airport for the 2nd gig of the year, The PGA show in Orlando.