US TOUR: Colin Montgomerie began the first round of the Los Angeles Open yesterday accompanied, at close quarters, by some beef on the hoof.
The Scot, who has an unfortunate history of being heckled at tournaments in the US, has been assigned several security guards to walk with his match, both inside and outside the ropes. Roy Peterson, in overall charge, said to Monty's caddie Andy Prodger: "If anyone starts chippin' your man, you just let me know and I'll put the beef on 'em." Peterson, 6ft 2in, wearing shades and burly with it, was determined there should be no incidents of the kind that occurred a year ago when hecklers caused a Montgomerie outburst.
After finishing, and losing, his first-round match in the Accenture Match Play event then, just down the road at Carlsbad, the Scot was taunted by some remarks about the Ryder Cup. He responded by saying: "There's only one good thing about losing today and that is that I don't have to stay in this country any longer."
There was more in the same vein including a threat never to return to America. That was hastily withdrawn when the realisation dawned that it would mean missing three of the four majors in any one year, not to mention the world golf championships that are mostly based in the US.
But the promoters of this week's event are keen that no such bad behaviour should be displayed, hence the security. "If anyone starts pissin' off a player," said Peterson, "just let me know." To which Phil Moreby, Jose Maria Olazabal's bagman, replied: "Don't worry, it's usually the caddie who pisses off the player."
The Riviera course is an unhappy hunting ground for Montgomerie, although not because of hecklers. Before he started yesterday he spent about five minutes on top of the hill which forms a natural amphitheatre for the 18th green. As he stared at the players below he recalled the time, in 1995, when on this course he tied for the US PGA Championship by birdying the last three holes.
He went into a sudden-death play-off with Steve Elkington (who shot a three-under-par 68 yesterday) and, on that 18th green, saw the Australian hole an outrageous 25-foot putt for what turned out to be the winning birdie.
Montgomerie was in confident mood yesterday but through eight holes, he was one over par, seven shots behind the early pace-setter Fred Funk (65). Sergio Garcio was one under after six with Tiger Woods at level par (through five); the same score as Darren Clarke (through five).
