Brits yanking Americans' chains ahead of World Cup

THERE was a time when the Brits and Yanks were at each others' throats. The Boston Tea Party and the exploits of Paul Revere come to the minds of those who know their history. Times have changed.

But one suspects that English golfer Paul Casey is still stuck in a colonial time warp.

"We hate them properly," he recently said of the Americans.

"Sometimes, they infuriate me."

Speaking in the build-up to the World Cup starting here this morning, Casey defended comments he made in a Sunday newspaper, stressing he does not hate Americans. But he then quickly continued a theme of dislike.

"When they are chanting 'USA' and there's lots of them, it just makes you want to beat them even more. That's the point I was trying to get across. They probably failed to realise it really sort of riles us and the rest of the world," said Casey.

Casey then switched to Tom Lehman's role at The K-Club in 2006 and how his antics at Brookline in 1999 could affect the opposing players and fans.

"His appointment will not be universally accepted on this side of the Atlantic," he claimed.

"I don't think people really want to see him as captain. A lot of people are afraid it will bring up a Brookline-type situation at The K-Club. That's what everybody has in the backs of their minds. Tom's name has been mentioned as one of those who didn't behave in the spirit of the Ryder Cup in '99. I enjoyed the spirit of this year's matches and from talking with those at Brookline, it's clear the spirit wasn't right."

Whereas Casey is forthright and articulate, Luke Donald, his partner here this week, is usually a lot more conservative. Like Casey, he lives in the US and has an American girlfriend, so you wouldn't have expected him to join in the controversy.

"I've heard reports Tom was the first person to rush on the green at Brookline when Justin Leonard holed that putt. I've heard a few things that go against what he proclaims, being a very religious man, and it seemed a little bit shady to me," Donald said.

"I don't know how good an appointment that was. From what I've read, the Americans were running out of candidates and he was the kind of choice they probably wouldn't have made if a few others had accepted. So we'll have to see how good of a captain he is.

"I think being in Ireland, it won't have too much effect. As we saw this year, the Irish are great fans. They are going to endorse the game of golf. They are going to be cheering loudly for us but they won't disrespect the Americans."

Donald added: "I think people who are not Americans can get upset with Americans quite easily. They do seem to be very insular and make rash comments that are really quite upsetting sometimes."

Donald used as an example comments made by American Tour player Ryan Palmer, who said shortly after the Ryder Cup that the Nationwide Tour - the second division in America - was the second strongest tour in the world.

"Those kind of comments force people like Paul to say what he says" said Donald.

"I guess it's a reaction to the American way of thinking that they have the best country in the world and don't really need to leave their country. I think a lot of Americans could gain a lot by exploring the world a little bit more."

It's inevitable that the Americans should take some stick for sending Scott Verplank and Bob Tway here this week.

They are respectively ranked 22nd and 57th in the world, so they have had a tough job fielding any kind of worthwhile side.

"If a tournament is held outside America, they seem less bothered to make an effort," Donald asserted.

"Not that Scott Verplank and Bob Tway are a bad team. They are very strong players and good friends since their days together at Oklahoma State. But it's not their best team and I think it just shows when an event is outside of America, there are a lot of excuses from the top players and they don't play."

You could hardly blame the Americans for being annoyed at these comments from two people living in their country and most especially Donald, who had planned to play full-time there, while Casey recently acquired his card on the US circuit.

Asked for a reaction to Casey's comments, Verplank replied: "He's got some sort of burr under his saddle about something. If he's really that uncomfortable or that annoyed, I don't think anybody would miss him if he went back to England."

Burr under his saddle?

"It's an expression from the western US," Verplank explained. "It's like a thorn under the saddle of your horse."