Former US PGA champion Steve Elkington was given a police escort for the early stages of his third round of the Seniors Open at Royal Birkdale yesterday amid fears his Twitter outburst against Southport, where the tournament is based, might provoke an angry reaction from the gallery.
On Friday evening, Elkington, who pipped Colin Montgomerie in a play-off to win the PGA Championship in 1995, posted a remarkable and potentially racist broadside against Southport and its population on the social media site, claiming the main features of the Lancashire town to be:
l fat tattooed guy.
l fat tattooed girl.
l trash.
l Pakistani robber guy.
l shit food.
The offending entry by Elkington, who has more than 50,000 Twitter followers, was soon removed. However, yesterday morning he contributed another incendiary tweet, this time to a conversation thread started by a different user, in which he claimed that "A couple of caddies got rolled by some Pakkis..." [sic]
The Australian, who became eligible to join the seniors after he turned 50 last December, subsequently issued an apology and clarification, but could face sanctions from the sport's authorities for his scattergun attack. It could go even further still, as the use of the word Paki could conceivably result in legal action being taken against him as well. A tournament spokesman, speaking on behalf of joint organisers the R&A, the European Senior Tour and the [US] Champions Tour, confirmed that the matter will be reviewed and suggested that disciplinary action could follow.
The spokesman said: "We have spoken to Steve Elkington about his inappropriate and regrettable comments on Twitter, and the matter will be reviewed before the Championship considers taking any disciplinary action against the player."
"Steve has expressed his regret at his comments and wishes to apologise to the Championship and the people of Southport for any offence caused."
Just before setting off on his third round, in which he would shoot a one-over-par 71, a score that nudged him towards the lower reaches of the leaderboard, Elkington also issued a personal statement through the Championship press office.
It read: "In my tweet I was referring to an unfortunate incident involving a caddie earlier in the week. Being Australian, I was unaware that my use of language in relation to the Pakistani people would cause offence, but having been made aware I now deeply regret the use of that terminology.
"Southport is a beautiful place and I have enjoyed playing at Royal Birkdale as my positive content on Twitter has shown. My comments were born out of frustration over what had happened to a colleague.
"I am prepared to adhere to any disciplinary action that the Championship sees fit."
While Elkington's actions dominated conversations around the course, Bernhard Langer went about his business with characteristic efficiency. The German won this event at Carnoustie in 2010 and was the 54-hole leader at Turnberry a year ago, and he covered the front nine with a show of astonishing precision that took just 31 shots.
Langer, who won the Masters in 1985 and 1993, slipped up with a three-putt bogey at the par-3 14th, but it said everything about his focus that he got the lost shot back immediately, with a birdie at the next hole. At the finish, he signed for a 66, giving him a three-shot lead over South Africa's David Frost.
Afterwards, Langer suggested he had played as well as at any time in his career. He also expressed his belief that a senior golfer will win one of the regular Majors, and that around seven players are capable of pulling off that feat.
Ordinarily, Sandy Lyle would not be counted among those contenders, but the Scot finished yesterday as the best-placed British player in the field, his round of 69 putting him six shots back from Langer.
Lyle played all four rounds at Muirfield and he feels that the elements of his game he has been working on at the range are finally starting to bear fruit on the course. Not that he felt particularly confident of catching his old Ryder Cup team-mate Langer in the final round.
He said. "You just stick to the same plan and if the chances arise you make the birdies. Get in early with a lot of birdies. But it will need at least a 65 tomorrow to give Langer a bit of a fright."
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