US golfer Hunter Mahan has compared Ryder Cup golfers to slaves and claimed a boycott of the competition is a reality because it is "not a fun week like it should be".
His comments will do little to aid his chance of being picked for his Cup debut when Paul Azinger selects his side for the September showpiece and even less to endear him to the PGA Tour, who he criticises for taking too much money out of the event.
His comments echo those of Fifa president Sepp Blatter, who recently compared some footballers to slaves when questioned on the Cristiano Ronaldo transfer saga.
Mahan lies 12th on the United States points table with just two weeks left in their qualifying race. The top eight earn automatic spots on Azinger's team, although with Tiger Woods ruled out by injury the player in ninth will be assured of a place.
Should Mahan be left needing one of Azinger's four wild cards, however, his comments can hardly have helped his case.
Only two weeks ago at Royal Birkdale, Azinger said: "All I want is players who want to be there and ready when they start."
In the latest edition of the American magazine 'Golf', Mahan re-opens the debate over whether players should be paid to appear in the match, an issue which caused controversy in the United States camp in 1999.
"From what I've heard the whole week is extremely long. You've got dinners every night - not little dinners, but huge, massive dinners. I know, as players, that's the last thing we want to do.
"We want to prepare ourselves. That's part of the whole thing: you're just a slave that week," he said. "At some point the players might say, 'You know what - we're not doing this anymore, because this is ridiculous'.
"Don't be surprised if it (a refusal to play) happens. It's just not a fun week like it should be.
"The Presidents Cup is fun. Jack (Nicklaus) just makes it fun. We had a great time, we really enjoyed each other's company.
"From what I've heard, the Ryder Cup just isn't fun. The fun is sucked right out of it. That's the word I hear a lot."
He continued: "Phil Mickelson and Tiger - their time is worth money. And for the PGA of America, the Ryder Cup is a moneymaker like no other.
"They don't have to pay anything. I think when (Mark) O'Meara said players should get paid for it or some of the money given to their charities, I think (he said that) because the PGA takes so much out of the event that the players don't really get anything.
"Is it an honour to play? Yes, it is. But their time is valuable. This is a business.
Mahan added that the European Tour and players take the event more seriously and have an advantage because they choose a venue that is included on the circuit. The PGA, he says, picks a cheaper course to maximise profits.
"I think Europe really, really takes it seriously. I think the US does too, but not like Europe.
"For one, every place they hold a Ryder Cup in Europe is a place on the European Tour schedule. That's really smart because right away they have an advantage."
"[The PGA] pick a site where they're going to have the Senior PGA, the PGA and the Ryder Cup, which means less money they have to pay out to get more money."
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