Montgomerie gets extra security

Player security at the US Open starting on Thursday has been stepped up in a bid to stop a repeat of the heckling suffered by Colin Montgomerie for the last two years.

The 35-year-old Scot will have undercover police as well as uniform officers following him throughout practice and the four days of the championship at Pinehurst in North Carolina.

Montgomerie, hoping to become Europe's first winner of the title since Tony Jacklin in 1970, had problems with the crowd both in Washington two years ago and San Francisco last June.

As a result of the incidents new guidelines on the amount of alcohol sold to the public - expected to be up around the 60,000 mark each day - will also come into force this week.

Mike Davis, director of championship relations for the United States Golf Association, said: "We try to identify ahead of time the players whom we think, from a crowd control standpoint, need more assistance than just the gallery marshals.

"That number is probably in the neighbourhood of 30 and certainly Colin is one of those.

"We have 30 state police and 25 state bureau of investigation officers - the undercover guys - walking with some of the marquee names.

"Also brand new this year is that we have gallery marshals positioned in the grandstands.

"Last year we started by assigning just two state policeman to Colin whenever he played.

"But there were some negative comments from spectators and my understanding is that he bantered back. After that we put four policemen with him and then a couple of undercover policemen as well.

"Their specific duty was to do nothing more than look out towards the crowd, but by the end of the week we had assigned two further policemen, making a total of six policemen plus a couple undercover.

"I believe Colin was told to try to ignore anybody shouting things out. At the beginning, I gather, there was banter back and forth and that was exactly what some of the knuckleheads in the crowd wanted.

"One fella who was causing a problem had his credentials taken and was escorted off the grounds. We would do the same this time."

Montgomerie became so heated at one point that he confronted one man and asked him why he was heckling. "Because of the Ryder Cup" came the reply.

Europe's No 1 for the past six seasons - a position he currently occupies again this year - took that to mean that he was being blamed for winning the match at Valderrama the previous September.

What the objection to Montgomerie might have been, however, was to comments he made before the cup match about some of the American players, including one reference to Brad Faxon's marriage break-up.

The location of the US Open this year could ease the problem. Both because it is not in a big city and is unlikely therefore to attract as many non-golfing people and because of the way the course is laid out.

Davis stated: "Where we are a little bit different this time is that while the crowds will be bigger the course is such that it is easier to get the players from a green to the next tee.

"There are probably eight or so holes where they don't have to go through the crowd at all, which is wonderful from a security standpoint."

As for the alcohol issue Davis added: "We have addressed it over and over. Historically, we have found problems with alcohol when there is a suspension of play and this year a spectator will be limited to buying two cups of beer - I believe it's two - rather than being able to purchase tray-fulls.

"We have also been a lot more strict with the caterers in the corporate hospitality tents and asked them not to give any more drink to somebody who looks as if they have had too much.

"That is in addition to the situation we already had come Saturday and Sunday of shutting off all alcohol sales once the leaders get to the back nine.

"But I think we are always destined to have some problems with alcohol.

"We hire a security consultant to analyse all aspects of security. The process starts easily a year ahead and it includes what happens if there is a bomb threat.

"If a player gets a package sent it goes through an X-ray machine to make sure it is nothing that might explode.

"We really try to do our homework. In a perfect world when a player drives on site he should be able to get to his parking lot, to the clubhouse, to the practice range, to the putting green and onto the course relatively unobstructed.

"He might have the opportunity to inter-act with the crowd, but we don't want him to get stuck in amongst them. That's what we are trying to eliminate.

"We're very concerned about it, particularly for Colin. He has been so kind to the USGA and the US Open in speaking up for it and saying how much he likes the event and it is our hope to try to make the experience for him as good as it can be.

"But you get to the point where there is only so much you can do."