IN THE wake of an impressive if unavailing challenge in Dubai last weekend, Greg Norman has kicked up his own desert storm over appearance money. Citing three tournaments, including the 1995 Murphy's Irish Open, the focus of the Shark's anger was Ken Schofield, executive director of the European Tour.

The most intriguing aspect of the attack was that it came totally without prompting. It arose during a meeting l had with him in Dubai, where I pointed to the record crowds he attracted to Mount Juliet two years ago.

Norman, who lost out to compatriot Richard Green in a three-way play-off for the Desert Classic, replied: "I love going to Ireland. You say the attendance figures were up in 1995. That's the first time I've ever heard that, and it makes me feel good, though l don't know whether it had to do with me or the way Murphy's marketed the event.

"But I'll tell you what: out of that year, 1995, the thing that disappointed me the most - and here l am being forthright again - was the way Ken Schofield treated me about the appearance money issue. Singling me out about the Dubai Desert Classic, the Irish Open and the Swiss Open."

In fact the main cause of the problem was Dubai, where a top-quality field included Norman, Fred Couples and Ernie Els. It was widely suggested that the appearance money commanded by those three players alone, was as much as the actual prize fund for the tournament - £450,000.

This was totally at odds with a European Tour directive to sponsors, specifying that so-called marketing fees paid to certain players in return for additional activities during tournament week, couldn't exceed 25 per cent of the prize fund.

The upshot of the whole affair was that at the end of the 1995 season, Schofield wrote letters to this effect to the organisers of the Desert Classic, Irish Open and Swiss Open - the three events in which Norman played. Based on figures bandied about in Dubai, it was speculated that Norman received $350,000O for appearing at Mount Juliet.

Whatever about the ethics of the operation from a European Tour standpoint, there is no doubt but that the Shark gave full value for money. Apart from spearheading a major build-up to the event, Norman set Mount Juliet alight, particularly on the Saturday, when a thrilling third round of 65 swept him from 26th to a share of second place, entering the last day.

In the event, the letters of censure, hurt Norman. "These people here (the Desert Classic sponsors) wanted me to come back last year," he said. "But I couldn't come back. And to make matters worse, the whole matter was made into a public spectacle - and I'm not a person to make things public - when it should have been kept on a one on one basis (between Norman and Schofield)."

Norman went on: "I know Ken Schofield a long, long period of time, from my early years on the European Tour and I have to say that basically, he singled me out. I thought that was pretty low red-light district because I've supported the tour over here.

"There's other players who've come over and received appearance money. But for him to single me out I suggested that his status as a high-profile player might have been a factor, but Norman wouldn't be mollified.

The Shark concluded: "It was wrong. We don't need that. And I don't need to be going head-to-head with the commissioner of any tour."

A fascinating aspect of the affair, however, is that Schofield's stand can be seen to have worked. For instance, in Norman's absence from Dubai last year, the prize fund for the Desert Classic was increased to £650,000.

Either way, the rumpus means that whatever about Murphy's budget for this year's Irish Open, the Australian won't be appearing at Druids Glen. The lion's share of the fund is already set aside for the return of US Masters champion Nick Faldo, who captured the Los Angeles Open last Sunday.

But it looks as if Norman will play one more regular tour event in Europe this season, other than the British Open.