James bows out for the greater good

Sam Torrance was forced to break the dreaded news to his close friend Mark James - but insisted he never considered quitting as Europe's Ryder Cup captain.

James agreed to the request of the Ryder Cup committee that he resign as assistant captain in a bid to end a bitter public dispute between himself and Nick Faldo.

But Torrance called the incident a "hiccup" en route to the main task of Europe winning back the Ryder Cup at The Belfry, next September.

Torrance said: "I never thought my position as captain was under question. This is the most important job I've taken on in my life and it's of paramount importance that we win the cup back.

"Mark having to step down is a hiccup but it's not something we can't take care of and get on with the Ryder Cup.

"To be honest it's a huge weight off my shoulders. There's been all this controversy over a slight mistake in a book.

"Now, hopefully, the controversy is over and I can get on with my job."

Faldo and James have been at loggerheads since the former captain printed his version of last year's defeat, in the USA, in his book Into the Bear Pit.

James, who denied Faldo a wild-card place in his team, told how he threw a good luck message from the former British Open and Masters champion into the bin. A storm immediately erupted which has refused to die down.

So, the Ryder Cup committee approached the issue during a routine meeting at Wentworth yesterday. Committee members Neil Coles, John O'Leary, Angel Gallardo, David Huish, Phil Weaver and Jim Christine were joined by Ryder Cup directors Richard Hills and Mike Gray, executive director of the European Tour Ken Schofield, PGA chief executive Sandy Jones and Torrance.

They met for four hours before Torrance emerged to explain he had phoned James, who was on holiday in Spain, and his friend had agreed to resign "in the best interests of the Ryder Cup".

Torrance said: "Mark will be gutted but he has stepped down. That was the gentlemanly thing to do. The most important thing is the Ryder Cup. That's how we both feel.

"I wouldn't say he was happy but he understands my position as captain and he understands the pressures.

"I think he was wrong to write about binning Faldo's good luck telegram but if you read it in the book it looks flippant. If you read the headline it looks horrific."

The issue, however, snowballed to such a size that it was already threatening to dominate next year's competition.

"There was no end in sight. None whatsoever. The issue was overshadowing the Ryder Cup and that's not what you need at all," Torrance admitted.

European Tour director Schofield and PGA chief executive Jones said James had overstepped the mark by betraying the trust of fellow professionals in his book.

Jones said: "When you've been captain, and Mark was a great captain, it does carry responsibility. All office carries responsibilities and there are times when you have to react to that.

"We didn't discuss the rights and wrongs of the book. The whole focus of this committee is the Ryder Cup matches and the ongoing well-being of those matches."

Torrance found himself unwittingly embroiled in the midst of a personal row because of his position as captain in 2001 and his firm friendship with James.

It has undoubtedly tarnished the first year of his captaincy but Torrance says he will still consult James privately because his experience will be of great value as next year's showdown at the Belfry approaches.

No one will replace James as assistant captain, according to Torrance, who had already named Ian Woosnam as his other assistant.

Torrance said: "The position of assistant captain has probably been taken out of context in the last couple of years.

"All the captains had helpers but last year Mark named Ken Brown and myself as assistant captains just to give us official positions, which wasn't really necessary."

Torrance then couldn't resist a mischievous hint that Faldo and James might be teaming up at the Belfry next year.

"I would like to see them both in the side and I would put them out in the foursomes. It should be fun to watch," he smiled.

Brian Huggett, who captained both James and Faldo in their first Ryder Cups at Royal Lytham in 1977, said James had done the right thing in resigning.

Huggett, nicknamed the "Welsh Bulldog" for his tenacious approach to the game, said: "It's good news for the team and for European golf.

"I like Mark very much and I don't think when he actually wrote the book he knew the trouble it would cause.

"But in my opinion he was never a good choice as vice-captain having captained the team in the previous tournament when there was all that trouble.

"To have Mark inside the ropes at The Belfry in quite an important position would have caused a lot of friction. There was no way he should have been vice-captain after all the trouble at Brookline."

Colin Montgomerie admitted he was "saddened" by James' decision to stand down.

"I am very saddened that it has come to this, as Mark was a great Ryder Cup captain," Montgomerie said.

"However, now our attention must be focused on looking forward to The Belfry in 2001, and to qualification for and winning the 2001 Ryder Cup.

James, unlike many of his counterparts, positively relishes the cut and thrust of press interviews and shares jokes with his inquisitors. Knowing this most entertaining and infuriating of characters, he will be back before long to have his full say on this latest development. James has always liked having the last word.