Phil Mickelson apologises to former Ryder Cup captain Hal Sutton
By Keith Jackson at Hazeltine
Last Updated: 29/09/16 5:14pm
Phil Mickelson has issued an apology to former US Ryder Cup captain Hal Sutton for claiming he had "prepared the team to fail" in 2004.
Mickelson was discussing the vastly improved preparations under Davis Love III for this week's contest during his press conference on Wednesday when he highlighted what he perceived to be the failings of previous captains.
He singled out Sutton for particular criticism, and recalled how his preparation was severely disrupted when he was given only two days' notice that he would be playing with Tiger Woods on the opening day in Detroit.
Mickelson, who famously hit out at Tom Watson's captaincy less than two hours after the US suffered a third straight defeat at Gleneagles in 2014, said: "That's an example of starting with the captain, that put us in a position to fail and we failed monumentally. You will play how you prepare."
Sutton fired back at Mickelson's comments shortly afterwards, recalling how the left-hander had changed club manufacturers in the build-up to the contest at Oakland Hills, where Europe cruised to a record nine-point victory.
"Phil created a lot of drama that week, if we remember, because he switched his clubs and his ball prior to that week," Sutton told GolfChannel.com. "It was very self-serving for him to do that prior to the Ryder Cup in 2004. So, if he needs me to shoulder the blame for his poor play, I can do that."
Mickelson has now contacted Sutton to apologise in person, and he admitted he was "totally in the wrong" over his controversial comments on Wednesday.
"I've communicated with him," Mickelson told the Golf Channel. "It came across like it was a personal attack and I didn't mean it that way.
"I feel awful. It was never meant to be like that. I was trying to use an example of how a captain can have a strong effect. Unfortunately, it came across the way it did.
"I was totally in the wrong. I never should have brought that up. I used an extreme example the way decisions can affect play and I never should have done that because it affected Hal."
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