DANNY WILLETT HAS apologised for disparaging remarks made about United States golf fans by his brother Pete and hopes to swiftly draw a line under the incident.
Pete Willett risked inciting American supporters with a series of controversial remarks in an article for the National Golf Club ahead of the Ryder Cup at Hazeltine this week.
He wrote: “For the Americans to stand a chance of winning, they need their baying mob of imbeciles to caress their egos every step of the way.
“They [Europe] need to silence the pudgy, basement-dwelling, irritants, stuffed on cookie dough and pissy beer, pausing between mouthfuls of hotdog so they can scream ‘Baba booey’ until their jelly faces turn red.”
The comments drew the ire of European captain Darren Clarke, who stated the remarks are “not what the European Team stands for”.
Danny Willett, the Masters champion and a rookie member of the European Ryder Cup team, has now sought out his brother to explain that his words were inappropriate.
He also confirmed a conversation has taken place with US captain Davis Love III and he is keen for all parties to move on.
“I’d just like to apologise obviously to everyone involved for what’s been said. It’s obviously not the thoughts of myself and of the team and of captain Darren,” he told the Golf Channel.
“I spoke to him [Pete] on the phone after I was made aware of what was said and what has been going on.
“And I said to Pete that, you know, I was obviously disappointed in what was said and what was written about the American fans that obviously took me under their wing fantastically back in April [when he won the Masters].
“As soon as I got done on the golf course, I went to see Davis and me and Davis had a chat for a few minutes about it all, and he took it very well and I think he’s drawn a line under it obviously for himself and for the team.
“So hopefully everyone else can do the same and hopefully we can get on and have a great tournament.”
Willett said learning of the article did prove a distraction, but his focus now is on helping Europe win a fourth consecutive Ryder Cup.
“I got made aware after a few [practice] holes today [Wednesday], it was obviously going crazy, obviously in the media and stuff,” he added.
“It is tough to then concentrate because you don’t want people to think badly of yourself.
“We’re 12 guys out here representing Europe and trying to do the best we can and like I said, it’s not really affecting what we think or what we say. Obviously everyone that plays in this team plays in America most weeks.
“It was tough then to kind of get your head around everything. You kind of wanted to get off the golf course and hopefully get it sorted, you know, like I said to Pete, as quick as possible and like I said, hopefully draw a line under it and get back to what we’re doing.”
Davis love has no way drawn a line under this, he will be using these insults to rile up his players now all week.
It’s like mana from heaven motivation wise. Willetts brother thought he was being smart but actually was being an eedjet.
Putting all our players in a tough spot as guests of the Americans and potentially damaging our chances of a win to boot.
Well done pal
@Aaron Buckley: Who cares? The article was spot on… what part would Davis be able to disagree with?
*manna
Gabby I’m pretty sure Davis Love doesn’t view all his fellow countrymen who attend the Ryder cup as ‘basement dwelling’ ‘jelly faced’ ‘imbeciles’.
As funny as that is it should also be considered that Willetts brother sounds like the stereotypical smug, self righteous Englishman with a deeply ingrained superiority complex.
And we have this tool now talking for the whole of Europe as we embark upon a very tough assignment over there
Good man Pete. 15 minutes of fame went to his head I think.
Reminds me of Donkeys don’t win Derbys. Well Cork remembered it and Tipp paid the price.
I’m so sorry my brother told it like it is, he hadn’t done his media course , I’ve had a word with him, he won’t be near the truth again for a long time…
Its so over the top offensive that you can’t take it serious, but it is funny in a way…..
Willett went too far but the American golf fans are a pain in the hole to be fair
Joke about anything lads but not the precious Ryder Cup!!!!!! If people can’t clearly see that this article actually pokes more fun at the European side that the US side then you clearly didn’t understand it you pack of basement dwelling, white toothed imbeciles!
You clearly didn’t read the article Caeliv.
There is banter, there is sarcasm and irony, but this crossed the red line big time.
It’s the equivalent of someone writing an article about Irish fans and mocking us using all the old Paddy stereotypes.
@Martin Fahy: I suppose is a fake insult a real insult? I do concede that the source causes a problem but people really need to get grip. This is a game of golf – not the middle east.
Caeliv. I think the real problem is that the article is by the brother of one of the players. Whatever the intention it’s clearly put the European team on the back foot and affected preparations
@Martin Fahy:
I just read the article, it’s funny, well written and is definitely banter. Darren Clarke has made a mountain out of a molehill, he should have laughed it off. I’m looking for Peter Willet on Twitter so I can follow him.
@Martin Fahy: Peter Willet can write what he likes. He’s not in anyway involved with the Ryder Cup team. He makes one tongue in cheek reference to Danny Willet, without mentioning his name. Darren Clarke as made this an issue, and he had no need to.
Craba, Darren Clarke is just trying to put out fires. This story is all over the American media.
And ya I agree it’s funny but it’s also pretty damn vicious
“They need to smash the obnoxious dads, with their shiny teeth, Lego man hair, medicated ex-wives, and resentful children”
I mean bringing the wives and kids into it? This guy stepped way over the line.
If I was a yank this would fire me up big time, if I was one of our team over there I would be hanging my head.
It’s an all round disaster for moral and our chances
*morale
@Aaron Buckley: “I mean bringing the wives and kids into it?” It’s humour. I’ts hyperbole. It’s a caricature. Have we lost all sense of context? If someone who was not related to any European golfer had written it, only the readers of the National Club golfer magazine would have ever known about it.
Darren Clarke should have laughed it off. Saying he was going out to find Danny who was out practicing to tell him his displeasure was a stupid thing to do and a stupid thing to say. and if I was Danny Willet I would have told Darren to cop himself on. Why should Danny Willet apologise for his brother’s article????
The story was all over the American media before Darren Clarke got involved. No way could he have laughed it off like that. I think he and Davis Love handled it quite well. Whether you liked the article or not, it’s certainly not gone down well in USA where they rightly or wrongly see it as inflammatory.
The American crowds have not always behaved well in the past and this ain’t going to help things go smoothly at the weekend.
@Martin Fahy:
Yes he could. Chastising Danny, and forcing him to apologise like a bold schoolboy was a mistake, and will affect his golf. The American fans will be as just as boisterous and would have been yelling ” ‘Baba booey’ until their jelly faces turn red” whether this article was written or not.
Craba this PC world we live in has lost all sense of context a long time ago.
And it’s even worse in the USA where the slightest hints of racism or sexism etc gets people fired and is big news.
Peter Willett is a public figure since his well publicised tweets at his brothers Masters win and this article was in a national golf magazine.
The American media of course ran with the ball on this and it was inevitable they would. Clarke hadn’t a hope of laughing this off in such a highly charged atmosphere over there
@Aaron Buckley: I am very familiar with the USA and have spent a lot of time over there and have a lot of US friends. Most of them, both golf fans and non golf fans, I know would find this funny and in no way offensive. Darren took the US media bait. That being said, I’ll agree to disagree with you on how he handled it.
Well whatever our opinions on it I don’t think there’s any doubt that the Americans will use this to their advantage.
I mean he signs off with calling them “those fat, stupid, greedy, classless, b*******.”
If that’s not handing the yanks a psychological fillip I don’t know what is.
We have arguably been winning these past Ryder cups because we are more unified and motivated as a team.
This article now hands the yanks the ultimate unifier and motivation.
There’s nothing good Europe can take out of this situation and the US captains have just been handed all the ammunition they will need
Crabs, I also lived in USA and some of your and mine American friends might indeed find it funny, but only after the British style of humour is explained to them.
You can actually say pretty much anything you want in USA but they have a different sense of humour and irony and it simply doesn’t translate to them the way it translates to us. However nothing fires them up more than thrash talk and I think your very naive if you think that 1) Love isn’t going to use this as a motivational tool 2) the American crowds aren’t also going to be fired up even more than they would have.
Don’t you remember what happened to Monty in 1999 and the spark was comments he had made about the Americans.
Also I have not read anything about Darren Clarke chastising Williett. When it exploded on American media he talked to Willett about it who then acted of his own accord with his apology etc.
@Martin Fahy:
http://www.skysports.com/watch/video/sports/golf/10597295/willett-disappointed-over-brothers-comments.
Why would he go out looking for Willet about it? and more importantly why did he tell the media that he went looking for Danny Willet about it. Danny Willet didn’t write the article. I spoke with an American Buddy of mine, an hour ago, a big golf fan. The first he heard of it was when Clarke apologised.
The US media kicked up a storm, baited Clarke, and he fell for it. He failed his first test as Ryder Cup captain. That’s the reality of what happened
Yeah sure, I’m just off the phone to the White House myself
Buddy, America made and continues to make to best comedy. Sure the brits hit gold a few times but nothing like the yanks. Their political satire and humour is miles ahead. Don’t peddle this British style humour needs explaining to them.
Clown should have been ignored rather than getting all this publicity
All golf fans are a pain in the hole!
Mash potata!!
Jaysus lads, it’s a piece of satire. Find some craic and get it into you.