THE SIDELINES : Spencer-Devlin Drops Golf Tour

Muffin Spencer-Devlin, disqualified from a women’s golf tournament in England last week, has withdrawn her application for membership of the European Tour and returned home, officials said today.

“In view of this, Spencer-Devlin is no longer involved with our tour and the matter is now closed,” the tour’s executive director, Joe Flanagan, said. “This is a sensible solution, and we now hope that she makes a recovery from her present problems and a rapid return to good golf.”

Spencer-Devlin was barred from an event in Woburn last Wednesday for bringing the tour into disrepute when she upset fellow guests at a dinner. Tournament organizers said she arrived late, sat uninvited with the principal guests, banged the table with her fists, used obscene language and then stormed out of the dinner when she was reprimanded by a tour official.

The Florida golfer later said she is a manic-depressive, had tried to commit suicide and was upset at the recent death of her stepfather.