Lefty throws a low blow at Irish rivals

Phil Mickelson hurled a verbal grenade into the Ryder Cup pressure cooker yesterday by suggesting the ongoing legal dispute between Rory McIlroy and his management company was affecting European team harmony.

The American veteran, preparing for a record 10th Ryder Cup appearance at Gleneagles this weekend when the 40th matches between the United States and Europe get under way in Scotland tomorrow morning, launched the unprovoked jibe against the world number one by alluding to his claim and the counter-claim made by Dublin-based Horizon which are set to enter into court-ordered mediation

Ryder Cup team-mate Graeme McDowell is a client of Horizon until the end of this year and his contractual arrangements with the management company have been dragged into the court cases at the request of McIlroy’s lawyers, although the Portrush golfer is not a party to either claim.

That, however, did not stop Mickelson suggesting the pair were at odds in a legal sense when a journalist asked him whether the Americans’ run of defeats was because they were not as close as the Europeans.

The reporter even suggested the theory was a misconception given that the US had won the fourball and foursomes sessions at Medinah in 2012, only to collapse in singles play but Mickelson said in response: “Well, not only are we able to play together, we also don’t litigate against each other and that’s a real plus, I feel, heading into this week.”

The remark was met with an intake of breath in the interview room, European Tour press conference moderator Michael Gibbons chipping in with an “Ouch”, to which Mickelson added: “I couldn’t resist. Sorry. Go ahead.”

Mickelson continued without further controversy and a European Tour spokesperson said there would no comment on the matter from their side but USA team member Rickie Fowler did react when asked whether legal problems between McIlroy and Horizon would affect the European side.

“I don’t see it affecting them,” Fowler said. “Rory has been playing decent this summer. They will find a way to get on just fine. Once you’re on the course, it seems like any kind of problems or anything like that kind of go out the window. When it comes to The Ryder Cup, you find a way to get 12 guys together and go give it your best shot to win. I don’t see any reason we look at that as a weak link. They are going to be tough to beat, no matter what. So I think they will be just fine.”

McIlroy and McDowell practised together for the second day in a row, yesterday in a group also containing Victor Dubuisson and Martin Kaymer, all three of McGinley’s groups instructed to play the fourball, better ball format in use in the first session tomorrow morning. Speaking four hours before the Americans went into the press conference room, McIlroy confirmed he would be using a new driver in his bag this weekend and found himself discussing Mickelson when he was asked if he was aware of the American’s switch of equipment before the 2004 Ryder Cup at Oakland Hills.

“Phil Mickelson nearly hit me off the tees in 2004,” said McIlroy, who had been in Detroit playing the Junior Ryder Cup that week. “I was standing down the left-hand side, so I’m very aware of what he did that week.

“Hey, look, Phil changed from one equipment manufacturer to another. This is a driver that I’ve been using and practising with since June, so it’s not like — I wouldn’t be putting it in the bag if I didn’t feel it was better.

“But I think everyone saw yesterday, it was the only driver I had out there in the bag. It’s looking likely that it’s going to be in the bag this week.”

McGinley saw no issue with McIlroy’s decision to change driver.

“Doesn’t concern me at all,” McGinley said. “I trust Rory with his decisions. He spoke to me and said first thing when he got here, ‘I’ve been testing something new, this is where I’m at with it, do you have any problem?’ “I said, ‘Rory, I don’t have any problem. You make your own decisions. You have your own team around you. You are the best player in the world, you make your own decisions and I’m not going to influence that.’ I’d never dream of giving a player a lesson or telling them what to do. They make their own decisions, they’re top players and that’s why they are here.”

McIlroy certainly doesn’t seem to have any issues with the new driver judging by his practice rounds at Gleneagles, reducing the par-five ninth, a 618-yard monster, to a driver, fairway wood and 10-foot putt.