Leading golf photographer looks back at his years at the Masters ahead of his 40th year in 2025

Legend of the lens golf photographer David Cannon is poised to cover his 40th Masters this April

Legend of the lens golf photographer, David Cannon, is poised to cover his 40th Masters this April. Here, in his own words, he recounts a lifetime of Masters memories.

David Cannon was a fine golfer in his youth, playing in the top amateur events in the mid-1970s. He got into sports photography in 1979 by working part-time and unpaid, covering Leicester City and Leicester Tigers.

Two years later, he got a full-time job with Bob Thomas Sports Photography and in 1983 joined Allsport, which became Getty Images, where he has worked now for 40 years. He has covered 96 men’s Majors as well as 19 Ryder Cups and has revolutionised golf course photography – his book Fairways of the World remains without peer.

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At the 2025 Masters, Cannon will become the first photographer to officially capture 40 Masters, which was as good a reason as any to sit down and reflect on his favorite stories and photographs from the last five decades…

My first taste of Augusta was the practice rounds in 1981 and ’83. I couldn’t get a credential for the tournament itself, but I’m actually set for my 42nd trip there. My first business trip to America was in 1981, and it was fraught with issues, such as arriving with a wad of travellers cheques… which were no use to rent a car at Atlanta airport! It was 11 pm, and I was snookered. Incredibly, there was a Delta flight to Augusta at 1 am, mainly for the forces. In those days, Augusta was basically just an Army base – so different from how the city is now. So there I was, on a plane with a load of servicemen. I made it, but returned on the Wednesday afternoon to London and of course missed Seve winning.

I was a very green sports photographer on that trip with Allsport in ’81. That was obviously April, and I only joined them in March. I remember walking through the gate with all this camera equipment and a big, long 400 lens. No one batted an eyelid. It is very different security now with an X-ray machine and so on. The first thing that struck me was the hills. You’ve no idea until you actually experience it. And the smell of the pines.

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I first managed to get a credential in 1984 through the Sunday Express; I did every one from then until I missed the two Covid tournaments. It was all so different. We were in the Quonset hut (a semi-cylindrical, corrugated iron building more commonly used by the military), which was the media’s home until 1989. I’ve got black and white pictures of it, and every time I look at them I think, “How the hell did anyone ever get anything done in there?” You walked in and were greeted by an absolute fog of smoke. I’m not a smoker, so that wasn’t any fun. And then there was the noise of the writers hammering away at their typewriters. It was all so basic.

My priority was to shoot for Allsport that week as the Sunday Express only wanted specific pictures for their writer’s story. I did it on negative film, and there was a company there called UPI with a processing machine. I’d give them my roll of film, we’d choose three or four negatives and wait seven minutes for the black and white transmission (later it was 21 minutes for color)… assuming the phone line stayed solid. Today, we transmit pictures from the course.

I press a button, and it sends from the camera – and because there are no cell phones in the area because of Augusta’s policy, they fly in seconds to London. A minute later, for a caption and Photoshopping and they are on Getty Images’ wire, ready for use.

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MY TOP THREE MASTERS

No.1. Definitely 1986. Never seeing Seve win there saddens me, but it was an incredible finish.
I was so lucky to feel a part of Europe’s era of dominance. Taking that picture of those six European winners in a Green Jacket was amazing.

No.2. Faldo’s victory in 1996. The fact I’d played with Faldo as an amateur, that he had been a big part of my life – I did lots of work with him, including all his instruction books – and that he became a good friend, that meant a lot to me.

No.3. Tiger in 2019. It’s a toss-up between this one and his first win. I don’t think we had any clue of what his career was going to be like in ’97 though. The craziness of Tiger’s arrival changed my business completely.

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I’d done two Opens – in 1982 and ’83 – before that first full Masters in ’84. The crowds weren’t as big back then, which was a real help, especially with the equipment we had. I had a similar number of cameras as I do now, but they were so much heavier. They were also much less reliable, so I’d have at least four and a lot more lenses because, in those days, you didn’t use zoom lenses. You used fixed lenses. So I’d have a wide angle, then a super-wide angle, a standard 50mm, a small telephoto, and my big long lens – so five lenses at least. Plus various other bits and filters. The batteries weren’t rechargeable, so you always had a big box of bulbs with you, too. And a couple of flash guns, which were heavy.

You were very much out on your own on the course in those days, sniffing out the story. They might say, “I’m doing something on X or Y”, so I’d go off and shoot that player. And, of course, Faldo, Seve, and Lyle were always targets, along with Nicklaus, Player, Palmer, and probably Johnny Miller – but otherwise, I was out there deciding for myself where to go and when.

The 1986 Masters gave me the biggest dilemma over where to go. Honestly, I changed directions probably six times in a few minutes as Seve went down 15 and Nicklaus up 17. I did Seve off the 15th tee, and he ripped it down the middle, so you’re thinking it’s likely he’s going to make a birdie. But the roars – you can’t describe how loud they were – as Nicklaus made eagle on 15 and birdied 16 were in my ears. As he was walking up 17, which is parallel to 15, I’m thinking, “I cannot not go with him.” The moment that picture happened on 17, I knew I had made the right decision. On reflection, it should have been an easy decision, but my loyalty to Seve made it difficult.

A shorter photographer wouldn’t have gotten that shot. Being tall is a huge help at Augusta, which is a tournament like no other in terms of photography. There is no inside-the-rope access, but I have a big advantage in being able to shoot over the heads of the crowd. The consolation to them being so strict over inside-rope access means ‘clean’ backgrounds. There are not even any walking scorers; the only people inside the rope are the cameraman and his sound man. Big, big bonus.

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Not being allowed to run at Augusta makes things difficult, as you can’t race across a fairway. The crossing points are often blocked, too, so you can’t follow groups very easily. I ramp up my poshest English accent to get through the crowds though; that usually really helps.

The clean backgrounds and the shadows on the back nine as it reaches a climax on Sunday mean there is nothing to rival Augusta anywhere. There are frustrations though. I’d love for once in my life to be allowed at the back of the 12th green, up in those azaleas, looking back to the crowd. I’d love to get that angle – and I’d love to be behind the 13th tee one day. You’d give your right arm to get to those shots, but that’s the mystique of Augusta.

I’ve never tracked my ‘calories burned’ stats, but my steps every day at Augusta are up to 20,000. On an epic day, it will be more. Add in the elevation changes, and it’s the only way my stomach stays half-decent! You can’t exaggerate how hilly it is, everything is either uphill or downhill.

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It was the club who told me this year was my 40th. They keep incredible records of who has been, as you’d imagine. I’ll not have a full-on working week this year as I’m going to try to savour it. My tournament week usually starts on the Monday, though I don’t do much on the practice days. Thursday is an early start as you have to queue up for access to the 1st tee for the honorary starters, so we’re in at 6:30 am. It’s at least 12 hours, of which nine are on the course.

I still always get excited to go, but this year will be special. My wife and son are coming, and you can imagine the excitement for 14-year-old Toby, who’s a 7-handicap. I’m picking them up from Charlotte on the Saturday evening after the Women’s tournament, and we’re going to play Pinehurst on Sunday and Monday.

At Augusta, I’m going to get my own space with my name on it in the media car park! At the Golf Writers’ dinner on the Wednesday night, I think there is going to be some sort of presentation, and I’ve got to make a little speech. The club have done a film, I think – well, they interviewed me for one anyway! And I’m making a book for them; my best pictures over the 40 years.

This will be my 42nd visit, but I’ve been there for more than 42 weeks as I now do the Women’s Amateur the week before. I’ve been on the property of Augusta National for close to an entire year of my life.

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CANNON’S BITE-SIZED MASTERS

Where does the Masters fit in among your favourite tournaments?

Just behind The Open. The Open is The Open, but as a photographer, the Masters is better than The Open. The Ryder Cup’s the best event for golf pictures.

But the Masters is the one I get most excited about. I lost my love for The Open as a photographic experience. It has just got so officious, and there are so many people around, so backgrounds are so messy. And there is less and less access every year.

Ever won the ballot to play the course?

Entered once, played once – 1984, my first year!

Best shot you’ve seen at Augusta?

Mickelson through the trees. I got an angle, but it was a hard one to shoot because obviously the television crew were right behind him. But I got a nice, clean shot. It doesn’t really show in the image how incredible that shot was. I didn’t see the Tiger chip on 16 (in 2005).

I’d love to have got that. Sandy Lyle’s second shot to the 18th in ’88 is up there too – I was up on the TV tower we used to be able to use. All I could see was his head over the top of the bunker lip.

Favourite hole?

Has to be 13.

Ever fallen foul of Augusta’s rules?

I fell foul of a tiny one, trying to smuggle food out of the back of the photographers area.

Biggest Masters regret?

Other than not seeing Seve win a Green Jacket, it’s when Adam Scott won (in 2013). Green Jacket pictures are really, really important, and access to the 18th green is really, really difficult. That year, because of the pouring rain, they said they’d do it in the clubhouse area, with limited space for photographers. So I went to wait in the queue, but of course there was a play-off and I couldn’t get those pictures of the climax. That is a huge regret to me.