Ryder Cup 2016: Danny Willett says brother put ‘downer’ on debut… as he bonks fan on head with wayward drive
Masters champ said even his parents were upset after brother Peter slammed American fans and players in article
HEART-BROKEN Danny Willett has told how his brother's "insane" rant at US golf fans has wrecked his first Ryder Cup.
Writing for a golf magazine, Peter Willett called American supporters a "baying mob of imbeciles", describing them as fat, stupid and greedy.
And former European captain Mark James said the episode could wreck Europe's chances of retaining the trophy,
Willett said: “Obviously it's been tarnished. It's been pretty tricky for me to get back on and fully focus.
"It’s an unfortunate one as a rookie. Just trying to focus has been the toughest thing. What was said was said, and there’s no going back on anything like that.
“I was disappointed in what he wrote, and it put a bit of a downer on my first Ryder Cup for the last couple of days.
“It’s supposed to be a special week, the first one hopefully of many and we’re all here trying to have a great time being in and around a dream come true.
“But yeah, my parents were upset with the whole thing, how it came about and obviously what’s been said.
“They spoke to Pete last night – I’m not sure what was said but they were here again today, walking inside the ropes with me and showing their support. That’s all I can ask.
“Pete has written some things that could be taken in a very bad way and that have offended people. He’s apologised to me and I’m sure we’ll have a long chat about this when I get home.
“But family’s family. What he said was wrong and incredibly ill-timed, but he is still my brother.”
With the home team bidding to avoid an unprecedented fourth successive defeat, Masters champion Willett said he and the other five rookies in Darren Clarke’s line-up are ready for anything.
And at least Willett should be well prepared if there is a backlash. He has spent the last few months preparing himself for a hostile crowd.
As he completed his Ryder Cup preparations at the Italian Open, he commented: “I think that Hazeltine is going to be particularly difficult. It will be like a Brookline in that the crowd will be pretty noisy.
“They are obviously going to be very much pro-America which I think is going to be a tough thing for us.
Danny can't drive
FIRST his brother sent the USA fans wild with fury.
And yesterday, Danny Willett was letting fly at the galleries again — only this time he had them diving for cover after a wild tee shot.
The Masters champion slammed one into the crowd off the second tee and left a home spectator needing an ice pack on his bruised bonce.
But the victim saw the funny side — and Willett joked: “He even managed to knock my ball backwards.
“The fans have been great. There’s a few shouts out there but you can expect that.”
However, the fuss over brother Peter’s comments appeared to have got to Willett as his play was erratic.
The fan may have been the obvious victim, but the wayward shots after that will gave given captain Darren Clarke a headache.
Willett added: “It’s been pretty tricky for me to get back on and fully focus.”
But I think from speaking to Lee and Darren, you have got to embrace that, realise it is going to happen, and go there and be prepared for it.
“You cannot go there and be like a rabbit in the headlights. You get there and you have prepared for the scenarios of being heckled, being shouted at, being taunted.
“Hopefully you can go there and put all that aside, get into your own zone, and just play some good golf.
“Yeah, from what the guys have said, at the Ryder Cup they are very respectful when you are hitting your shots. But between shots, I imagine there are a lot of things that are going to be shouted out from the crowd.
“Fortunately, I am pretty good at ignoring all that stuff. But mentally, it is something you have to prepare for.”
Willett's remarks led to fears the infamous Battle at Brookline could be repeated.
That 1999 clash featured the worst scenes of crowd abuse at any Ryder Cup, with spectators shouting vile insults at players, screaming at them on their backswings, and even spitting at some players’ wives.
And James, skipper at Brookline, said Willett's words about Americans were simply “inviting” a crowd reaction.
James commented: “It was insane to say that just days before his brother and 11 team-mates compete against the American team.
“Having someone say such stupid things was the last thing anybody needed – was just the sort of curveball a captain dreads.
"Danny Willett's brother should be ashamed of himself after the absolutely horrible comments he made about fans of America's Ryder Cup team.
“I hope there won't be a repeat of those infamous 1999 scenes. In the editions since they have improved security and thrown out the odd person who has caused a problem.
“But if you rile people so much that large groups are having a go at the players, you can't eject them all.
“Reading what he had published appalled me, and to do what he has was simply madness.
“The last thing we want is for things to turn unpleasant at Hazeltine. They haven't at the Ryder Cup since I was captain, at Brookline, but these sort of comments don't help.
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“I can't help but feel sorry for Darren Clarke, and I hope that Danny is not singled out by the crowd as a result of the comments -- they were certainly inviting that.
“At the very least, the comments were an embarrassment for Danny. But they could have consequences for the team as a whole. If you get on the wrong side of the fans in the Ryder Cup it definitely has an impact.”
“At Brookline, I made it very clear to the European players at the start of the week that the crowds there could be volatile. I told them to sign every autograph and be really nice to the fans.
“It didn't do us any good but I think Darren -- who's said how good the U.S. fans have been to the European team up until the comments -- will have been thinking along similar lines.”