Sky Sports commentator goes to town on 'disgraceful' U.S. Ryder Cup side
Sky Sports commentator Andrew Coltart has accused the U.S. Ryder Cup players as being 'disrespectful' to the contest in a remarkable podcast appearance.
Former professional golfer Andrew Coltart has torn into the U.S. Ryder Cup side, accusing the American golfers of a lack of professionalism and respect for the contest.
Coltart, who now commentates for Sky Sports, went to town on Zach Johnson's side during his appearance on Claude Harmon's Son of a Butch podcast.
The former Ryder Cup player said he found it 'disgraceful' there were reports some U.S. golfers were annoyed they weren't being paid to play.
And he also said the golfers who decided not to play competitively in the build-up to the 2023 showdown was 'disgraceful'.
"Before we talk about the captains, you've got to take 12 players who want to play for your red, white and blue," he told Harmon.
"Because what I see is that's not the case. There might be 10 of them, that might've been the case this year, there might be nine.
"I'm not seeing 12 players that want to play – you guys had a team two years ago at Whistling Straits that was meant to dominate for 10 years."
He continued: "I know you were arguably more depleted because of LIV than the DP World Tour, but the DP World Tour this year had guys in form.
"At Whistling Straits, we didn't. But you need to get 12 players who want to play.
"I can't stand listening to some of these multi-millionaires bitching – pitching up to a Ryder Cup and – 'Somebody's not paying me any money for it'.
"There's something wrong with your psyche and personally, I wouldn't have anybody in my team, even if they qualified, that didn't want to play for the red, white and blue.
"I find it disgraceful. You go to the DP World Tour – every single man will bleed for that team.
"They will pay to play a Ryder Cup, not the other way around. Until you sort that out, you're always going to be up against it."
The Scotsman is clearly referring to the likes of Patrick Cantlay, who was said to have not worn a cap as a protest about not being paid.
Cantlay, for his part, denied this was the case. "Not a shred of truth in it," he previously said. "The cap just didn't fit."
But he did refuse to answer directly when asked if Ryder Cup participants should be compensated financially.
"I thought it was really, really poor..."
Coltart, who played in the European side that was defeated at Brookline in 1999, also had some strong words for the U.S. players who did not play competitively in the lead up to the contest at Marco Simone Golf & Country Club.
Before the 2023 Ryder Cup began, some U.S. team members, such as Wyndham Clark, suggested this was nothing to worry about.
He predicted the U.S. side would benefit from being 'more fresh' compared to a European team that was likely to 'leak oil'.
Later Jordan Spieth complained there was too much time between the season-ending Tour Championship and the Ryder Cup.
Coltart said: "Where's the respect for Zach Johnson and that task force that you can't be bothered playing for five weeks prior to a Ryder Cup?
"It's not just you you're letting down, what about the American fans?
"What about the people who paid for the trip to get over there to Rome to support you? And you're only going to give it a half-baked opportunity?
"And it was no surprise that guess what, you started to play more like you could play at the end of the week when it was basically all but lost? I just don't understand.
"There is no sport I know that any professional athlete would conceivably take that much time off before what is the Olympics – and expect to perform anywhere near their optimum level? I thought it was really, really poor."
Coltart's comments come as it was confirmed Luke Donald would be retaining the European captaincy for 2025.
Donald's counterpart at Bethpage Black in New York has not been confirmed.
The early favourite to take over from Johnson is Stewart Cink. Fred Couples is also in the frame.
Tiger Woods is an obvious candidate but the 15-time major champion suggested before the Hero World Challenge there was 'too much at stake' with the future of the PGA Tour to think about a Ryder Cup.
Donald said: "Tiger's been mentioned as a possible candidate and we'll have to wait and see. If it's him great, if it's someone else, great.
"In the meantime, my role is to try and, again, start the preparations and try and figure out the best opportunity for us to be successful again come September in 2025 in New York."
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