Mark Pain, Photographer Who Snapped Iconic Tiger Woods Image, Talks

Perhaps the most memorable shot from the 2010 Ryder Cup won't be Graeme McDowell's putt on the 16th hole that helped Europe seal the victory, but Tiger Woods' sod-laying effort on the 18th on Saturday that was captured by Daily Mail photographer Mark Pain.

As FanHouse's John Walters wrote Monday, the image is already an iconic one, and is reminiscent of another photo from Great Britain that encourages the viewer "to search the frame for new people."

CBS' Early Show landed an exclusive interview with Pain, the photographer on the business end of Woods' flubbed chip.

Harry Smith: Instead of [the golf ball] going high up into the air and over your head, what happened?

Mark Pain: Normally -- 99 times out of 100, or for Tiger 99,000 times out of 100,000 -- he would just chip that to within two or three inches of the hole. When we're working with Tiger we've never had any problems getting that near to him because we know that it's never going to be an issue.

But all the grass had been trampled by the spectators and he just seemed to catch it really wrong, and it just dinked out to his right and it just headed straight towards me, hit my camera and then hit me, and then landed at my feet. And Tiger's face -- he almost couldn't believe it. He couldn't believe he played such a bad shot, really.

Smith: Did Tiger or his caddie say anything to you like, "You're really too close, you need to move back a little bit"?

Pain: They did ... and then we all moved back. Tiger's caddie Steve [Williams], he's got a reputation for being very very strict with us photographers ... but no, we were all in a perfect position, and the marshalls had agreed where we were. ... There was a very wide angle for him to play a shot into towards the green.

Smith: Was it just instinct that made you click the shot?

Pain: It's pretty much instinct. ... You totally focusing on Tiger's expression because once the ball goes past you there are still moments there to capture. He can throw his club away, celebrate, do whatever he does.

Smith: And the camera's okay?

Pain: Camera's fine. It's a Nikon D3S, it's taken a bit of a knock here but it's absolutely perfect. ... And it's only a month old.

Even when Woods falters he has an amazing ability to still be the main storyline. And this time, thankfully, it had nothing to do with his personal life.