Feherty, Monty And Mrs. Doubtfire
In this 2002 piece, Monty with Lewine Mair details all of his hecklers and reveals the story behind the Mrs. Doubtfire, uh, branding. It adds some context to Feherty's remarks today.
Years ago, David Feherty did me no favours when he christened me Mrs Doubtfire. David is a friend and a gifted commentator, but I hated the name and could not disguise that fact. Everywhere I went there would be a couple of people who would yell, "Hey, Mrs Doubtfire!" from behind the ropes, perpetuating the label and making my blood boil. I complained to David's face at the end of the Brookline match because the goings-on of that day had revived the feeling that many of my problems in the States were down to him. The match was not long over when he and I bumped into each other in the team room. Though a former Ryder Cup player, he should not have been in there in the first place and, though I am not usually one to bother about such things, I said that either he would need to leave or I would. When he took no notice, Eimear and I left. David followed and asked: "What's the problem?"
"What's the problem?" I repeated incredulously. I suggested that he should sit down in order that I could spell it out.
Eimear and I both proceeded to give him a piece of our minds, with both of us wanting to know why he should have made so much trouble for someone who had been a team-mate at the 1991 Ryder Cup at Kiawah Island. He accepted what we were saying, but only up to a point.
The atmosphere between us remained less than cordial until we came face to face at the 2000 PGA Championship at Valhalla. In one of those circumstances where someone has to say something, I spoke first. "You have got a job to do and I've got a job to do," I began. "You hurt me a lot at Brookline but the time has come to put this behind us." We shook hands, though the indifferent grunt that came with the handshake suggested that he did not care overmuch either way.
Monty is scheduled to meet with the media Wednesday at the PGA Championship.
Tuesday, August 10, 2010 at 01:52 PM
Reader Comments (12)
Despite these failings I would pick Colin over "Sir Nick" every time for playing partner or social entertainment.
As for the ever scatalogical Feherty and his smart aleck colleague McCord, their golf reporting could be markedly improved by taking giant enemas before each broadcast. Perhaps they can make an infomercial on the results: colon cleansing or fertilizer or the like.
Unfortunately, he has always had a case of rabbit ears. It beat him at Congressional in '97 when he was definitely the best player that week. He must have thrown 3 or 4 shots away when he let louts in the gallery get to him in the second round. Jim Rome was adept at fanning the flames in America against Monty back in those days. It didn't help that Elkington loved to go on Rome's show and rub Monty's nose in it.
The final round at Congressional in '97 had a decided discrepancy of pins on the left. That limited Monty's left to right game that day and I always wondered a little about the USGA's thought process on that. Four horse race that day as I recall.
I hated to see Monty fail to finish at WF, too. It was his golden chance, as was Congressional in '97.
On the other hand, that little incident over in the Far East really disappointed me about Monty.
I haven't been too interested in the RC for years, but may even watch a little of it this time to see how Monty handles things.
it's been my experience that a cruel joke or unflattering nickname only sticks if you show the guys it bothers you. if you roll with it, they tend to fade away.
"Tiger, why did you shave off your goatee?" I mean, come on...
Perhaps Feherty has repopped this balloon for his adopted country's sake? Small return for Benedict Arnold methinks.
Feherty is Irish. As such he is extremely likely to laugh along with jibes at his nationality, former drinking problems or any other stick thrown his way. It is simply the way of things.
Monty reminds me a little bit of my eleven year old daughter. Delightful when things are going her way. Hell on wheels when they are not. Even at a 99.5/.5 split it's very unbecoming in my daughter. In a grown man it's pathetic.
Monty may not deserve everything he gets but he does basically nothing to make it go away.
Who knows, perhaps rumors had been traveling within the tight circle of the ET and/or PGA Tour community and Feherty played off of that and brought in an unwitting public to repeat it, thus causing Monty's outsized reaction.