Clarke defends James as Faldo attacks

European golf's civil war showed no signs of abating yesterday as Nick Faldo launched a further attack on Mark James whereas Lee Westwood and Darren Clarke, who are both starting the Scandinavian Masters today, sprang to the defence of Europe's appointed Ryder Cup vice-captain, who resigned on Tuesday.

Westwood and Clarke, team members against the US at Brookline last year and lying second and third on the European money list, were forthright in the aftermath of James' departure following the repercussions from his book, Into The Bear Pit.

Clarke said: "I'm very disappointed at the decision. I think Mark James was a fantastic captain at Brookline. He wrote a book to try and give the inside story of what went on and there was nothing particularly bad about it. He was very good as captain and he would have been equally good as assistant.

"A certain person took great offence to the book, even though he spends most of his time in America, and decided Mark shouldn't have anything to do with the Ryder Cup. The tournament committee gave Mark a 10-0 vote of confidence. That was the players' view. Now the cup committee has asked him to go. He's been hard done by.

"I've read the book and he is more than complimentary about Nick and what a great record he has. Certain people have been baying for his head.

"Nick has made his views very public, but there are others. He (James) would have been of very great benefit to the team next year."

James was given a vote of confidence by the tournament committee, of which he is chairman, at Loch Lomond in the week before the Open championship.

Westwood has questioned the make-up of the Ryder Cup committee which contains just one person (Neil Coles) with playing experience of a Ryder Cup. Coles also admitted he had not actually read the book.

"I'm disappointed, as I think Mark had a lot to offer and it's a shame that he won't be there to offer that experience," said Westwood. "I'm not surprised that he resigned. The matter had to be finalised, but it's surprising that the initial vote (by the tournament committee) should be overturned.

"I find it quite disturbing. It's been left to a team of officials, only one of whom, Neil Coles, has had playing experience of the Ryder Cup, what's involved and what effect Mark James' selection would have had on the team for next year."

Ian Woosnam, the surviving vice-captain, diplomatically declined to comment but ridiculed a suggestion on BBC Radio that James might already have been pencilled in by Sam Torrance as one of his two captain's picks to play next year.

Meanwhile, Faldo does not seem prepared to let the matter lie, demanding that James be punished for breaking the European Tour's code of conduct and accused him of "fabricating a story" to make money at his expense.

"That's a major issue for me," said Faldo. "In his book he says he showed the note to everybody, tore it up and threw it in the bin and made me feel like `nobody wants you'.

"But the facts, I've now discovered, are that only two people were there and neither of them were in the team. I now know that he has fabricated a story for the sake of his book, for him to gain financially out of it at my expense.

"I've still got a case here where I would like that dealt with - fabricating a story against somebody for your financial gain in a book.

"If that's not a breach of the Tour's code of conduct I don't know what is."

But Martin Hardy, who co-wrote the book with James, rejected Faldo's accusation that James' recollection of the letter-binning had been fabricated in order to stir up controversy and sell more books. "The way it is worded in the book, nowhere does it say he sought the views of all the players," said Hardy.

"I think Faldo would be best served by reading the book first before making those comments."