Ballesteros hoping for close competition

Seve Ballesteros has backed Nick Faldo's selection policy ahead of the Ryder Cup but admits he would not mind if America ended the recent European domination and won in Valhalla this year, for the sake of the popularity of the competition.

Europe claimed victory by a massive nine points at the K Club two years ago and at Oakland Hills in 2006. In 2004 they won by three but Ballesteros reckons another pounding for America could be to the detriment of the competition.

"We've won the last three events and the domination by the Europeans is very clear," said the five-time Major winner. "In one way I'd like to see the Americans beating the Europeans because we're beating the Americans so clearly at the moment that the Ryder Cup is losing interest.

"I wouldn't say the Americans don't want to compete, but if the victory is so one-sided then people from both sides of the Atlantic will lose interest," he told BBC Radio Five Live's Sportsweek.

Ballesteros, who captained the European team beaten by a single point in Spain in 1997, gave his full backing to this year's captain Faldo and his controversial wild card picks.

Faldo elected to omit the experience of Colin Montgomerie and Darren Clarke in favour of Paul Casey and Ian Poulter and Ballesteros said: "Every time a captain makes his two picks the controversy is there.

"If Nick decides to play Casey and Poulter it's because he feels it's best for the team. Nick knows well the players and the game and he's been part of the Ryder Cup on six or seven occasions.

"Poulter and Casey are two great champions and very good players. Both have played in the Seve Trophy before and they have the experience so I don't see anything wrong with that."

Meanwhile, Ballesteros' former Ryder Cup foe and this year's USA captain has admitted that gamesmanship in the event is "alive and well" in the build up to the event.

Asked if the "dirty tricks" side of golf was still going on at the matches Azinger, who back in 1991 called Ballesteros "the king of gamesmanship", replied: "It's alive and well.

"You don't always see it. It can be a spoken word or early walking in the middle of a backswing," he said. "I could mention things, but I don't want to start an international incident."
Azinger's attack on Ballesteros' antics came in the notorious "War on the Shore" at Kiawah Island.

On the opening morning there Ballesteros and Jose Maria Olazabal spotted Azinger and his partner Chip Beck breaking the rules by changing the type of ball they were using in mid-match.

The Americans admitted they were in the wrong, but were not happy.

Ballesteros was known for developing an annoying cough during matches and for annoying opponents by being in their vision as they putted.

Not that that was new. It was a tactic American Ken Still was labelled with at the 1969 match and it led to an exchange of words with Bernard Gallacher that
ended with Still shouting: "You can have the hole and the goddamn Cup!"

Azinger has said in the past: "Always in match play there's some gamesmanship, even if it's just the club championship. There's always some because it's me against you."

But in the magazine interview he also states: "I didn't do it because I never wanted to give anybody more reason to beat me."