Dubai, United Arab Emarites ? The clicking cameras didn’t help, nor did the poor putting. All of which left Tiger Woods as frustrated as any weekend hacker.

For someone who has been playing nothing but sterling golf of late, Woods tossed his club after a botched putt Thursday during the opening round of the Dubai Desert Classic.

“Last week I putted great, and today I didn’t putt so good,” Woods, the defending champion, said after his 4-under-par 68.

He was three strokes behind leaders Ross Fisher and Graeme McDowell. Ernie Els was one stroke back at 66 in a tie for third with Jose Manuel Lara and Jyoti Randhawa at the Emirates Golf Club.

Woods’ problems started on the second hole, where he drove into a row of trees before settling for a bogey. He reclaimed the lost stroke on the par-5 third hole, but he soon encountered another problem on the eighth.

While he was swinging, a group of photographers were snapping pictures, causing Woods to send the ball into the long grass on the edge of the fairway.

“Nice going guys, thanks,” he said sarcastically.