Spectator subjects Norman to verbal abuse
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Greg Norman became the latest victim of loutish behaviour when he came under verbal attack from a fan during the third round of the MCI Classic here in South Carolina on Saturday.
"Why did you choke, you cost me money," bawled a drunken spectator, referring to the Australian's collapse against Nick Faldo in the US Masters at Augusta eight days ago. Both players were given armed escorts for yesterday's final round with officials concerned at an escalating trend of hooliganism in golf.
Faldo was forced to act last month during the Honda Classic in Fort Lauderdale where a heckler shouted at Curtis Strange, "You are a Ryder Cup choker" when the pair played together for the first time since their crucial singles in last September's match. Faldo confronted the oaf and insisted that he be ejected from the grounds of the Weston Hills club.
He said: "I had to do something, because it would have been wrong for Curtis to get involved. That was the worst incident I've experienced in 20 years on tour and I hope I never see anything like it again."
He did not witness Norman's latest brush with bad behaviour, the world No 1 being abused as he left the 18th tee. He immediately walked over to a 33-year-old man and said: "Do you have a problem?" His caddie, Tony Navarro, fearing that Norman was in physical danger, pushed the offender to the ground before he was arrested by police for being drunk and disorderly.
It is by no means the first time Norman has been a target: he received similar treatment here last year after finishing third at Augusta, and during the 1986 US Open at Shinnecock Hills he offered to meet another heckler behind the grandstand on the completion of his round.
Faldo and Norman slipped out of contention, but they still commanded the largest galleries. They were respectively 11 and 12 shots behind Loren Roberts, who opened up a four-shot lead with a 63 for a tournament record 15-under-par 198. Colin Montgomerie, chasing his first US win, was seven shots adrift after a 70.
MCI CLASSIC (Hilton Head, S Carolina) Leading third-round scores (US unless stated): 198 L Roberts 66 69 63. 202 M O'Meara 68 69 65. 204 S Hoch 71 68 65; D Love 68 68 68; L Nelson 67 68 69. 205 T Lehman 68 70 67; T Purtzer 70 67 68; C Montgomerie (GB) 69 66 70; J Maggert 69 66 70. 206 W Austin 72 67 67; V Singh (Fiji) 70 67 67; T Watson 67 67 72. 207 D Martin 67 71 69; B Tway 67 70 70; R Mediate 68 68 71; J Sluman 67 67 73. 208 N Lancaster 71 70 67; G Day 71 70 67; B Mayfair 67 73 68; D Ogrin 69 71 68; L Janzen 69 70 69; T Tryba 71 68 69; R Cochran 71 68 69; N Price (Zim) 72 67 69; B Lohr 68 71 69; J Furyk 66 72 70; A Magee 68 68 72; B Kamm 73 63 72. Selected: 209 N Faldo (GB) 70 68 71. 210 G Norman (Aus) 69 69 72. 217 A Lyle (GB) 71 71 75.
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