O’Grady, Minus Only a Beman Headband, Speaks Out

The traveling Mac O’Grady Circus stopped briefly at the Augusta National Golf Club Friday.

After shooting a two-under-par 70 to improve his Thursday score in the Masters by 12 strokes, O’Grady, who does not talk to reporters in pressrooms, entertained about a couple of dozen of them on the veranda of the green-and-white clubhouse. Curious spectators listened from the street.

Repeating his criticism of PGA Tour Commissioner Deane Beman, who has warned the Palm Springs pro that for such criticisms he faces a major penalty, possibly a $10,000 fine, O’Grady invoked the Constitution, the Bill of Rights and George Washington.

He also threatened the press. If he is fined and loses his case in an appeals court, he will never talk to reporters again, he said. His reasoning? “That’s my only way of protesting.”

O’Grady’s problems with Beman began two years ago at the New Orleans Open, where he allegedly called a female volunteer a name. He has vehemently denied the accusation, but Beman fined him $500, deducting the money from O’Grady’s purse.

Since then, the PGA has built a case against O’Grady for other alleged infractions. A PGA spokesman said Friday that O’Grady frequently changes his story.

Friday, his story went like this:

“The issue is not Mac O’Grady, professional golfer. It is Mac O’Grady, a citizen of this country. Deane Beman took money out of my account and sent me receipts. How would you feel? I did not get due process; that’s the problem.

“I am not demanding that the money be returned. I am not demanding an apology. I am not guilty. I didn’t do anything.

“I told the players at the Bay Hill tournament that I will fine myself $10,000, and I want the commissioner to fine himself $10,000. I told them I’d write them a check right now.

“I want an open forum with the commissioner. You reporters have a right to know what’s going on. I work very hard at what I do. Maybe you guys can put pressure on Deane Beman to change his rules. I have my integrity to defend. Defending my rights is a serious problem.

“People say I am burning my bridges. Well, maybe the bridges are worth burning. I have no contracts. I don’t take any money off the course. I just play golf.”

He feels good, he said, living in a great nation that produced George Washington and has the Constitution and Bill of Rights. “I know things are going to come out for the best, and we’ll have a better PGA Tour because of it.

“In conclusion,” he said, “if I go through the appeals process and lose in court, I’ll never talk to the press again.”

Beman, who is not here to defend himself, is getting popped by some player almost every day. Severiano Ballesteros criticized him Wednesday in a press conference, calling him, among other things, “a little man who wants to be big.”

Masters Notes Here’s how Mac O’Grady described his first two rounds: “Today, I felt as if I was playing a game of checkers. It was easy. Yesterday, I felt as if I was playing a game of chess with Bobby Fischer. I didn’t have a chance.” He sank a 40-foot eagle putt Friday on No. 15, the same hole he four-putted for a bogey Thursday. . . . Players were still telling horror stories Friday about their woes in the opening round. On No. 2, Peter Jacobsen faced a four-foot putt for a birdie, and when he missed it he had a 40-foot putt left for a par. Doug Tewell putted off the green. T.C. Chen said the greens were so fast that even from about eight feet he was thinking two-putts. . . . Golf magazine recently asked 65 pros what tournament they would most like to win. The winner? The Masters. The U.S. Open was a close second. The players consider the Masters the best-run tournament and like the lifetime exemption it offers. . . . Severiano Ballesteros told reporters the other day that he does indeed receive appearance fees for playing in European tournaments. When asked how big they were, he raised his hand a couple of feet off a table and said, “That big.” Asked if he has a tax problem in the United States, he said, “I have no problem; I don’t make any money.” . . . Lee Trevino, on the Masters: “I’m treating this week like the military. I’ll be getting out Sunday.”