Playing for Country? He Prefers Cash

Mark O’Meara is many things-- defending British Open champion, multimillionaire, former Masters champion, 16-time tournament winner, petulant whiner.

What’s that? O’Meara has long been one of the more cooperative talkers on tour, patiently answering questions he has heard a few hundred times or so, but that hasn’t been the O’Meara we’ve seen this week at the British Open.

O’Meara on Tiger Woods’ swing: “Butch Harmon is his instructor, so I don’t know.”

O’Meara on Ryder Cup pay: “You media people [should] give your salary that week.”

Uh, then how about if those reporters cover a corporate outing and get $50,000 for it, Mark, like you do? Not too many reporters are millionaires.

“I’m not either,” he said. “Yes, I have a few, there’s no question about it.”

Now, normally, if you have a few million in the bank, you ought to be pretty happy all the time. But O’Meara’s typically sunny disposition has been in eclipse lately, ever since he has been getting toasted for his views that the U.S players should get paid for playing in the Ryder Cup.

To be sure, the PGA of America rakes in millions of dollars for the event, including an estimated $30 million from corporate hospitality alone, but arguing that millionaire players need more millions to play golf for their country isn’t going to help their image very much.

The point, according to O’Meara, is that the players could donate their fee to charity or whatever.

“The majority of the players don’t want to speak about [getting paid] because they’re going to get maybe crucified in the press,” O’Meara said.

“All I’m saying is that there’s a lot of money being made somewhere.”

As for the Ryder Cup, O’Meara also had a bone to pick with the media’s characterization of the U.S. defeat in Valderrama, Spain, in 1997.

“I come home and the media laid into the American players that we’re spoiled millionaires and that’s why we can’t win the Ryder Cup,” he said.

Well, U.S. players certainly might be spoiled millionaires, but that’s not why they haven’t won the Ryder Cup. It’s because the European team, which has long been regarded as the underdog, has played better. And its members haven’t gotten paid for it either.

As the Ryder Cup approaches, there will be more chances for O’Meara to talk about the issue. He could have had another one Thursday after he completed his first round of the British Open as defending champion, but because he shot an 83 that featured a triple bogey at No. 17, O’Meara refused to speak with reporters.

Note to O’Meara: Better crank it up, Mark, because if you miss the cut, you won’t get paid here, either.

EDGE TO THE COURSE

From Hugh Campbell, chairman of the Open Championship committee: “We have the best players in the world playing the most difficult course in the world. Right now, I would have to say that the most difficult course in the world is winning.”

PHILOSOPHY LESSON

Mark McNulty, who turned in a 73 in the first round, said he has the right attitude about how to play Carnoustie while keeping your blood pressure in check: Don’t worry, be happy.

Said McNulty: “If you don’t enjoy it, it’s going to grab and bite you hard. You just go out there and enjoy it. If you hit it in the . . . you just take your penalty, hit it out and take it from there. If you start getting exasperated and tearing your hair out, it’s going to grab you even more.”

THE NAME GAME

And now, a special announcement: Sergio Garcia wants you to know something about him. From now on, the 19-year-old Spaniard wants to be referred to only as Sergio . . . not Garcia, not Sergio Garcia, not “El Nino” or even “Hey, you!”

Garcia, excuse me, Sergio, gave no explanation for this sudden change in appellation, except to say that it makes him feel much better.

Thus, Sergio follows in the time-honored tradition of entertainers who go by one name, such as Cher, Madonna, Pele and Fabio.

However, after shooting an 18-over 89 in his first round as Sergio, he may have left himself room for another name change, possibly following the same route as Prince . . . The Golfer Formerly Known as Sergio.

TIGER UPDATE

News item: Acushnet, which owns Titleist, is suing Nike for $20 million over its Tiger Woods television ad, claiming the spots show Woods endorsing golf balls--and Woods already has a deal endorsing Titleist balls.

Reaction: This is one controversy that has a life of its own since Nike, intentionally or not, blurred the line between Woods selling apparel (Woods’ deal with Nike) and Woods selling golf balls (Woods’ deal with Titleist). Look for this lawsuit to be settled out of court.

Tiger’s reaction: “Unfortunately, that’s just the way it is.”

MORE TIGER

Here’s another sign that cyberspace is taking over the world: You can now play the EA Sports Tiger Woods PGA Tour game on your palm pilot. That has to be comforting.

NORMAN UNPLUGGED

Here is what Greg Norman had to say (and what he really meant to say) about the British Open:

“I’ve always believed the British Open is my favorite tournament of all [because I’ve won it twice] because it is so steeped with the tradition, the heritage [and the wind blows so hard I don’t have to wear my usual stupid hats] and playing golf courses like Carnoustie like you don’t play anywhere else in the world [thank goodness].”

AND COULD SPEAK GERMAN

Taking the early lead in the Top Headline category is this one from the Sun, referring to Colin Montgomerie and Bernhard Langer:

“If Monty had Langer’s brain, he’d have won 6 Majors by now.”

BEEM HIM UP

It wasn’t such a good start to the British Open for PGA Tour rookie Rich Beem, who was arrested and charged with driving while intoxicated in Girvan, Ayrshire, found guilty, fined about $750 on Wednesday and banned from driving on British roads for 18 months. Hello, courtesy cars.

It didn’t get much better in the first round, when he shot an 80.

BIRDIES, BOGEYS, PARS

The Stu Pike/Tak Kobayashi Memorial tournament will be played Aug. 5 at Montebello Country Club. The event benefits the Montebello High football program. Details: (562) 696-9896.