Spectator attacks Tiger Woods with a hotdog

ONCE AGAIN Tiger Woods's efforts on the golf course have been overshadowed by wiener-related antics off it, this time after a spectator at the Frys.com Open in California tried to assault him with a hotdog.

The bizarre attack took place as Woods prepared for a birdie putt on the seventh green at the Cordeville course on Sunday. As he lined up his shot a man broke through security and charged towards the former world number one shouting "Tiger, Tiger".

As he neared the green he let fly with the snack. The bun didn't get very far but the sausage travelled further than the bread, landing on the putting green, several metres short of Woods.

Having launched his lunch, the spectator immediately lay down on the ground as security rushed him. He was removed from the course and arrested.

Woods then missed his birdie putt, but appeared unfazed by the incident. "I guess he wanted to be in the news," he said. "And I'm sure he will be."

The golfer later explained: "I was kind of focusing on my putt when he started yelling. Next thing I know he lay on the ground, and looked like he wanted to be arrested because he put his hands behind his back and turned his head.

"When I looked up, the hot dog was already in the air. He was pretty far away from me."

His playing partner Arjun Atwal noted that the unnamed spectator was lucky. "They could have shot him," Atwal said. "The cops could have thought it was something else." Tournament director Dan Diggins called the man an "idiot".

It's not the first time Woods has had to contend with hotdog related distractions since the sex scandal in late 2009 that led to the collapse of his marriage and reputation. Earlier this year a sports bar in Augusta - home to the PGA Masters - hit the headlines when it started selling a monster hotdog it named the 'Tiger Homewrecker' that came complete with a 12-inch wiener.

Although Woods has come in for some abuse from spectators since he began his so far unsuccessful comeback, it was the first time anyone had broken through security and approached the golfer.

Woods had not played for two months and was making his first appearance with new caddy Joe LaCava at the second-tier tournament. He finished with a respectable score of seven under, and tied for 30th place. ·