In 1971, New York-based R&B group, The Persuaders, launched the long-lasting tune, ‘Skinny Line Between Love And Hate’.
It’s maybe price bearing it in thoughts when compiling a listing of most hated gamers within the Ryder Cup.
Sure, their antics and manner could make them public enemy No.1 to opposition followers however to their very own supporters they’re heroes to be revered.
However which gamers have most impressed these excessive and reverse reactions? Golf365 seems on the match’s largest villains.
Ian Poulter
European followers cherished Poulter for his heroics in Ryder Cups.
If ever a participant confirmed he might stroll the stroll in addition to discuss the discuss it was Poulter.
The Englishman thrived on his nickname of ‘The Postman’ – promising to step up when wanted most and delivering time and time once more.
However his brash, smug posturing riled opposition followers, making Poulter an actual hate determine to American crowds at Ryder Cup time.
Patrick Reed
If Europe had Poulter, the USA had Patrick Reed.
The self-styled ‘Captain America’ was in his component taking it to the Europeans, successful a well-known head-to-head with Rory McIlroy at Hazeltine in 2016.
Whether or not it’s “shushing” rival followers or opponents, Reed had an actual behavior of winding everybody up, doing no matter he might to get underneath European skins.
Seve Ballesteros
Whereas Seve’s {golfing} magic and charisma makes him one of the vital cherished golfers of all time, it actually wasn’t at all times that approach in Ryder Cups – for those who had been an American that’s.
The tales are legendary, the Spaniard coughing on backswings or putts or exhibiting little regard for sportsmanship.
Former Ryder Cup star Curtis Unusual was so riled by Seve in the course of the 1987 Ryder Cup that he mentioned: “I used to be so mad I needed to kill him.”
Colin Montgomerie
A hero for Europe with so many excellent performances within the Ryder Cup, Monty was a straightforward determine of hate for American crowds.
That venom ramped up considerably forward of the 1997 Ryder Cup when, talking about Brad Faxon, the Scot mentioned the American was “going by means of a divorce and mentally I don’t suppose he’ll be with it.”
Workforce USA had been livid, with Fred Funk famously calling Monty “the jerk of the world”.
Two years afterward American soil, Montgomerie’s father James needed to go away the course, unable to tolerate the foul-mouthed abuse his son was getting.
Tom Lehman
In the course of the USA’s unimaginable fightback in opposition to Europe at Brookline in 1999, Justin Leonard holed a monster putt on 17 which seemed to have sealed the cup.
Leonard led a cost onto the inexperienced which included the often reserved and measured Tom Lehman, who was significantly eager to whip up the house crowd.
The issue was they stepped over the road of Europe’s Jose Maria Olazabal, who nonetheless had an admittedly prolonged putt to halve the match.
European’s Sam Torrance was significantly horrified. “It’s about essentially the most disgusting factor I’ve ever seen in my life,” he wrote. “Tom Lehman calls himself a person of God. That was not the behaviour of a person of God.”
Paul Casey
Casey grew to become a goal for American followers for his feedback forward of the 2004 Ryder Cup.
In an interview with the Sunday Occasions, he mentioned of the US group: “We correctly hate them. We needed to beat them as badly as attainable.”
It didn’t go down nicely and even teammate Paul McGinley, a future Ryder Cup captain, questioned Casey’s alternative of language. “Hate is a foul phrase to make use of. It’s a horrible factor in sport,” mentioned the Irishman.
Paul Azinger
The 1991 Ryder Cup is named the ‘Battle On The Shore’ and the Individuals first obtained up the noses of Europe when Paul Azinger and Corey Pavin turned up for follow donning navy caps.
The flamable Azinger, whose father served within the US Air Power, significantly embraced the struggle narrative and have become an actual hate determine for European gamers and followers.
After a number of run-ins down the years, Seve as soon as described the American group as “11 good guys and Paul Azinger”.
