Beyond his exploits on the diamond, Ken Griffey Jr. has a way with the camera. On Wednesday, he came to the fairways of the Ryder Cup with his camera in hand to capture the action, per Kyle Porter of Normal Sport.
Porter mentioned Griffey's presence in the press area on his social media page. Additionally, he noted one of Griffey's trademark looks.
“Ken Griffey Jr. is in the media center this week as a photographer. Just hanging with the rest of us. Currently walking around wearing his Ryder Cup hat backwards like he's about to pepper the warehouse outside Camden Yards. 12-year-old me is in disbelief over every word of this.”
During the 1990s, Griffey had a profound impact on baseball culture. In many ways, he was the first to introduce baseball to hip hop. He was the first to wear his hat backwards, and the style and swagger he exuded was rooted in the ethos of hip hop culture, outside of rappers.
For kids Porter's age, Griffey was a captivating and exciting presence in a sport that is often complained about for being too slow. At the same time, golf can fall under that category, but Griffey makes it exciting by being there.
Back in April, Griffey was present as a photographer for the Masters in Augusta.
Other famous photographers at the Ryder Cup
Additionally, other notable figures have brought their cameras to the Ryder Cup to capture the action. One of whom was David Cameron, who covered the European team from 1995 to 2018. One of his most indelible images was in 1991 when Jose Maria Olazábal and Seve Ballesteros celebrating their victory.
Also, Phil Sheldon was able to provide up close action of the Ryder Cup in the late 20th century and early 21st century. In 1999, Hugh Routledge of the UK outlet The Times captured the iconic moment when Justin Leonard sank his 45 foot putt on the 17th hole in Brookline that led to the Americans winning in dramatic fashion.
Safe to say that Griffey is in pretty good company.
