Azinger defends call to cheer Europe's misses

Paul Azinger has defended his call to American Ryder Cup fans to cheer missed putts by the European team at Valhalla this weekend.

The American captain made the remarks last night at a ’pep’ rally for United States fans in the centre of Louisville on the eve of the Ryder Cup matches against Europe.

Today, following the opening session of foursomes matches, Azinger was asked to clarify his comments during a media conference.

“I think I said, ’You can cheer when they miss’,” Azinger said. “Essentially, when we go over there (to Europe), they cheer when we miss.

“I don’t think that the American fans are really into what the Ryder Cup is all about in the fact that there is that other element.

“It wasn’t meant to be malicious and I’m really proud that the fans have been absolutely perfectly behaved this morning.”

Azinger said he had been teaching United States fans about the Ryder Cup.

“That really is all that was,” he said.

“It was kind of an education almost, and enlightening them to kind of that’s what goes on over there.

“If we lose a hole or we miss a putt, they cheer. I don’t think the American fans get that part.

“Everybody ’oohs’ and ’aahs’, but the European fans, they get it. The American fans, they don’t, and they are not used to that.

“I was just making sure that if they understood that if we win a hole, they can cheer, and even if somebody misses a putt for us to win a hole. So that’s really all that was.”

Azinger said the first session’s play had been played in front of well behaved fans.

“I think you’ll find that so far, the great fans of Kentucky have not done anything to let us down or embarrass us,” he said.

“I don’t know if you could ever find a more enthusiastic group of fans anywhere in the world than what we had here this morning and they were all properly behaved. So I’m really proud of that fact.”