Faldo insists Ryder Cup row not a "Storm in a teacup"
Mark James's Ryder Cup future
comes up for discussion on Tuesday at the players' tournament
committee after the vice-captain's public row with Nick Faldo.
The players are to decide whether to back James following
publication of his controversial book "Into the Bear Pit" in
which James accused Faldo of undermining Europe's 1999 Ryder Cup
team.
Faldo said on Tuesday he had support from players who wanted
James to step down.
"I don't want to say who, but several people have rung and
written to me. Player support from both sides of the Atlantic
has been pretty positive," Faldo said in a BBC interview.
He said James had "overstepped the boundary" in writing the
book.
"It's okay if you're retired and 60-70 and going to write
your memoirs fine. But he's the vice-captain of the next team
and definitely tread over the boundary line way too far."
James has described the controversy as a "storm in a
teacup", but Faldo said he disagreed.
"If it's a storm in a teacup why is it ending up in front of
the player committee and probably going to end up in front of
the Ryder Cup committee as well," Faldo said.
Ryder Cup captain Sam Torrance said last week he also wanted
the issue put to rest.
"The air has to be cleared. It's gone on long enough," he
said.
Faldo said he did not know what would happen if he qualified
for the next Ryder Cup team and James was still vice-captain.
"That's a long way off. I have to make the team first."
Both James and Faldo are playing at the Loch Lomond
tournament which starts on Wednesday.
