San Francisco, California
18th - 21st June
Par 70 Prize Money $3.0 million

Montgomerie gets heckled by US gallery

By Mark Garrod, PA Sport Golf Correspondent

The Olympic Club, San Francisco, 19th June 1998 - Colin Montgomerie has been subjected to heckling for the second US Open running in San Francisco - and is to have added security around him for the rest of the championship.

Fans, some of them drunken, shouted at the Scot during his second-round 74 yesterday, which dropped him seven strokes behind leader Payne Stewart.

Reports of rowdiness in the crowd following Montgomerie's group, which also contained Americans David Duval and Jim Furyk, reached United States Golf Association executive director David Fay, who immediately upped the security levels.

Montgomerie stated afterwards that he had not been distracted, but Duval said: "I've not known it as bad as that before and it's not an obstacle anyone else has except Colin. It certainly makes it more difficult."

Fay added: "When it was reported on the radio to me I immediately sent out added security, and it will be there again tomorrow. Two officers will be in uniform because that's the way to cause people to pause before acting like jerks.

"Heckling is regrettable at any sporting occasion and unfortunately it seems to be on the rise.

"I don't want to see any player subjected to it, but for some reason Colin is a lightning rod. I think it's an extension of what we have seen in recent Ryder Cup matches - an Us against Them attitude."

In Washington last year Montgomerie failed to keep his cool during a second-round 76, telling fans to "save your shouting for the Ryder Cup" after three-putting one green.

Drink was also blamed then for the behaviour in the galleries, and Fay said that the sale of alcohol at the event could now be looked at, although he added that a total ban was "probably unrealistic".

The situation has not been helped this week by two articles in local newspapers portraying Europe's number one for the past five seasons as moody and arrogant.

One labelled him "Golf's Basket Case" in the headline and said he did not have an army of fans because "they have all been scared away, one by one".

The writer followed him in his first-round 70 and sounded disappointed that Montgomerie "only chewed out a few people", including one who apparently muttered to him when he took out an iron on one tee: "You wuss. Hit it with your purse".

The other article ended with a wish that Montgomerie loses by 10 shots tomorrow.

The 34-year-old has deserved some criticism in the past for outbursts but has mellowed considerably and has also made a positive attempt to improve his image after running into trouble before the Ryder Cup at Valderrama last year.

He was attacked then for commenting about Brad Faxon's marriage break-up and the effect it could have on him in the match, and one American tour player, Fred Funk, said he thought Montgomerie would not be welcome on the American tour.

Former Open champion Tom Lehman said the comment over-stepped the mark, and Montgomerie wrote to both Faxon and captain Tom Kite apologising.

In today's third round Montgomerie was paired with another American, John Daly, and it could be another rough ride for him.

On Wednesday Montgomerie said he did not expect the same problems on America's west coast as he had on the east last year. But sadly, that has not proved the case.