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18th - 21st June
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Colin Montgomerie encounters some ugly Americans

Reuters

The Olympic Club, San Francisco, 21st June 1998 -  Colin Montgomerie encountered a couple of ugly Americans at the U.S. Open on Sunday but he said he would not let the incidents diminish his affection for the championship or the United States.

"I have had happier weeks," the European star said after shooting a one-under-par 69 to finish his seventh U.S. Open at 10-over-par 290.

Montgomerie was referring to several incidents in which he was taunted by spectators at the Olympic Club here. There were similar incidents in the Open at Congressional near Washington last year.

On Sunday Montgomerie, Europe's top player for the past five years, was about to tee off on the sixth hole, which has the only fairway bunker at Olympic, when someone in the gallery shouted "Hit it in the sand."

The Briton, as he had in the past, ignored the lout and played on while the spectator was escorted away by security officers.

But then Montgomerie was again the target of abuse as he was walking from the eighth green to the ninth tee.

"Go home, Monty," a voice shouted from the crowd.

"Who said that?" Montgomerie snapped back, finally speaking out after silently enduring similar incidents over at least two days.

"Who said that?" Montgomerie demanded.

A big man with a cigar finally admitted that he was the culprit.

"Why did you say that" the Briton asked the American.

"Because of the Ryder Cup," the man replied, referring to Europe's victory over the United States in last year's matches in Spain.

"There was nothing wrong with the Ryder Cup except that Europe won," Montgomerie told the man.

The Briton then got a strong endorsement for that statement from someone who would know -- playing partner Tom Kite, who was the captain of the U.S. team that lost the Cup to Montgomerie's side.

"There was nothing wrong with the Ryder Cup," Kite told the man, ending the brief confrontation.

The spectator managed to melt into the crowd and was not seen again.

"Tom Kite was great support for me," Montgomerie said later, referring to their whole round together as well as that particular moment.

"It all had to do with the Ryder Cup," Montgomerie said. "I seem to be blamed for winning the Cup even though I had 11 teammates who were really responsible for our victory."

Montgomerie also took some heat in the U.S. press for some frank assessments of some of the U.S. players prior to the Cup competition.

Montgomerie did not let the interruption get to him -- he birdied the ninth hole and played steadily the rest of the way. And he did not appear angry as he related his adventures to reporters later.

"It's only a very small minority," he said of his detractors.

Kite agreed. "There were a couple of unwarranted remarks out there," he said. "But it was an isolated thing.

"For every one (remark) that was bad, there were hundreds of good comments," Kite told reporters. "And make sure you write that."

Despite the insults he had to endure, Montgomerie said they would not keep him away from the U.S. Open, his favorite championship, or the United States, where he went to Houston Baptist University in Texas.

"I really enjoy this tournament and I always will," said Montgomerie, who has had two seconds and a third in the championship.

"I always enjoy playing in America and I always will," he added.

Too bad some Americans could not be as gracious.