Garcia's caddie attacked

Sergio Garcia's caddie Jerry Higginbotham arrived in Cologne for this week's Linde German Masters bearing the scars from the most sickening incident at last week's Ryder Cup.

Higginbotham, who caddied for United States player Mark O'Meara at Valderrama in 1997, was attacked in a hotel bar on Sunday night when one of his fellow countryman took exception to him working for the Spanish teenager.

"The guys in the bar were having a go at me because I was an American on the European Ryder Cup team," said Higginbotham, who spent five hours in hospital receiving treatment for black eyes and a bruised cheek. He also needed stitches in a head wound.

"One of the guys had obviously had a bad day and had definitely had too much to drink. He said some things I didn't like and I said a couple of things back to him because I'll always defend myself - and then boom, he comes up on the blind side and down I went, hitting my head on the way down."

Higginbotham, who linked up with Garcia when the 19-year-old star turned professional in April this year, was keen to play down the incident, which happened around two hours after play had finished on Sunday night at the end of a tense and controversial week.

"It takes two to tango. What he said pissed me off and I guess me coming back at him pissed him off," he said.

"What I should have done was walk away, but the whole thing leaves a sour taste in the mouth."

English caddie Dave Musgrove decided not to carry the bags of American Lee Janzen in the Ryder Cup at Valderrama in 1997 over fears of such incidents and similar concern was again expressed before this year's competition in Boston.

But Higginbotham decided to caddie for Garcia after several United States players said they had no problem with his participation. The incident was the low point of a week which saw European team members subjected to vitriolic abuse from the galleries, Mark James' wife Jane being spat at and Andrew Coltart being deliberately directed to look for his ball in the wrong place in his singles match against Tiger Woods.

Captain James has already said he would not go back to the United States for another Cup match.

And vice-captain Sam Torrance labelled the American team celebrations on the 17th green, when Jose Maria Olazabal was yet to putt to keep the contest alive, "the most disgusting thing I've seen in my life".

Meanwhile, US PGA chiefs are ready to clamp down on fans who heckle players at future Ryder Cups on both sides of the Atlantic.

Jim Awtrey, chief executive officer of golf's governing body in America, blamed the vitriol which tarnished the 33rd Ryder Cup in Brookline on "a vocal but very small minority" and pledged to rid the event of barrackers.

"I thought it was horrible conduct, there's no question about that," said Awtrey. "We'll be addressing that problem with European officials when we meet again at Augusta in April.

"We've got to take those people out of the crowd and out the gate. But I don't think what happened on Sunday represents all the American fans. It was unfortunate but it happens."

He also confirmed to the Washington Post: "We'll certainly look at the alcohol policy and if that's a problem we'll address it."

But US PGA bosses have refused to condemn the celebration which erupted on the 17th green after Justin Leonard's 45-foot birdie putt that ultimately secured the Cup.

PGA of America president Will Mann, who was at the 17th green, said: "I tend to agree with Tom Lehman. It was a spontaneous reaction over so much energy that had built up over three days. There was no intent to cause a problem and our people calmed down right away.

"Things like that have happened on both sides and this certainly didn't change the outcome.

"You make a putt like that, what else are you supposed to do? We just need to recognise the circumstances and the environment."

Ben Crenshaw, meanwhile, has announced that he will not return as captain. "I unequivocally can say no. I can't do this," he said. "Look at me, I'm emaciated. It took two years of my life. It seems like I've been on the telephone for a year."