Lickliter gives obnoxious fan a tongue lashing
Associated Press
Saturday, July 15
MILWAUKEE -- Although Loren Roberts, Franklin Langham and
Frank Lickliter combined to shoot 19-under-par Saturday, the
threesome's outstanding round wasn't without distractions.
Lickliter had an exchange at the 14th hole with a fan who
shouted an unflattering comment about Lickliter's wife. It was the
same hole where he missed a 2-inch tap-in putt Friday.
"He made a comment, and I wasn't in the mood to let him get
away with it," Lickliter said.
"That was kind of unexpected, because normally the galleries
are wonderful here," Roberts said.
The fans who followed the three players were treated to an exhibition of outstanding golf, with most of the fireworks coming from Roberts. The GMO's leader went birdie-eagle-birdie on holes 12-14 and received huge cheers.
Milwaukee golf fans find Roberts a sentimental favorite. Playing in his 18th GMO, the 1996 champion is also the event's career money leader.
"It was nice to feel like I had some good hometown support," he said.
The three players, who will play together again on Sunday, are
friends off the course as well. Langham spent much of Saturday's
round asking Lickliter about his recent bear hunting trip to Alaska
with Fuzzy Zoeller.
Quick move
Mathew Goggin, who carded a pair of 68s in the first two rounds, quickly got to 9 under by making birdies on Nos. 3-5 Saturday morning. His fine play resulted in a 6-under 65, leaving him at 12-under 201 and tied for sixth place.
Goggin, 26, is from Tasmania, and he won the Australasian Tour championship in 1998. Three years earlier, he was the Amateur Player of the Year in Australia. His mother was a three-time Australasian Amateur champion.
Missing Mark
Conspicuous by his absence for the final two rounds was Mark Calcavecchia, who missed the cut after shooting rounds of 67-76.
Calcavecchia, who will play next week in the British Open at St. Andrews, was playing in his 20th GMO. Calcavecchia's string of 11 straight rounds of 69 or better in the GMO ended in the second round last year, when he shot 1-under 70.
He tied for eighth place in 1999, earning $69,000. He stands
fourth in career GMO earnings with $419,633.
Roberts, the event's career money leader, can almost double his total by taking home the winner's share of $450,000 from the $2.5 million purse.
Divots
Steve Pate, who shot a 7-under 64 Friday, didn't waste any time getting untracked Saturday. He birdied the first two holes and three of the first four to get to 11 under before finishing the day at a disappointing 70 and 204 total.
Ben Bates shot a 9-under 62 to lead after the first round of the 1999 GMO before finishing in a tie for 10th. On Saturday, he shot a 5-under 30 on
the front nine before finishing with a 66 and a 54-hole total of
205. His front nine featured an eagle 3 on the fourth hole and
birdies on 1, 6 and 7.
Defending champion Carlos Franco, who successfully defended his New Orleans title earlier this season, stumbled to a 73 Saturday, leaving him 15 shots behind Roberts.
