Sky Sports analyst Andrew Coltart believes that Team USA’s home supporters could turn on American stars who are getting paid to play for their country for the first time
The USA team fear abuse from their own fans at the Ryder Cup next week, former European star Andrew Coltart has claimed. And the Scot reckons paying the American players to represent their country for the first time will only increase the pressure to secure a home win.
Coltart, now 55, played in the infamous 1999 Ryder Cup in the bearpit of Brookline when home supporters roared the US to a final day comeback win. But the Sky Sports analyst believes the American team this year are already feeling the huge weight of expectation with eight of the last nine events won by the hosts.
“The US team are feeling the pressure already because it is a home match,” claimed Coltart. “And I think New York will be something that they have never encountered before.Iit is an absolute coliseum of fire that they are going to be walking into so that could be quite intimidating.
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“You look around and you have your own supporters shouting abuse at you. I do think that could happen. And I think they know that could happen and it is something that is worrying for them. It would not be a nice feeling. That New York crowd, they don’t care where you come from and what you do. They have paid their money and they want to see success and nothing short of it.
“I go back to that press conference where Keegan Bradley announced his picks. They were all sitting there on Facetime all looking fairly miserable. Even scared. They were like: ‘Oh God, he’s picked us!’ That to me was slightly telling – I picked up on that. I know the Europeans were told: ‘Just make sure you are smiling’. They looked they were about to enter the lions’ den. There is now an increased pressure playing at home.
“I think there is a potential that if they don’t get off to a fast start, it could feel like an away game for them.”
The build-up to the 1999 Ryder Cup was overshadowed by US players demanding to be paid – and Mark O’Meara was never made captain for leading the campaign. Players were then given $200,000 to donate to charity. This time the US stars are to be paid a $200,000 “stipend” in addition to a $300,000 donation to charity while fans are being charged $750 to attend.
Coltart added: “I don’t understand it. Each European would put on the blue and yellow for absolutely nothing. What good is $200,000 going into their pocket. They are multi-millionaires. They might as well just give $500,000 to the charity instead of the $300,000. I don’t understand it. If you are doing that, and the punters are trying to pay mortgages to keep a roof over their heads. It is only going to go against them and increase the pressure.”
The Scot, who lost to Tiger Woods in his only appearance in the singles, spoke to the European players about his experience in 1999 at the Team Cup in January.
“The crowds were incredibly tribal, febrile,” Coltart said. “We were ok because we were inside the ropes – it was just white noise. But our partners and friends and relatives were listening to all this horrible abuse. Some pretty nasty things get said. I know Monty (Colin Montgomerie), who was with Eimear at the time, was getting abuse and she was upset about that. She was getting abuse.
And hopefully Team Europe take this in – I certainly mentioned it at the Team Cup – I think it is best to try and separate our families and relatives from that because what you don’t want is to go back to your rooms at night and listen to and have to deal with that upset. Because you have got enough on your plate to worry about.”
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