Azinger says all fine with Faldo

U.S. Ryder Cup captain Paul Azinger described his relationship with his counterpart Nick Faldo as "open and friendly" on Sunday, saying comments he made to a British newspaper were made to sound acrimonious.

Azinger was quoted in the Mail on Sunday as using a derogatory word to describe Faldo, and that while the European captain has tried to redefine his personality as a broadcaster, most players from his generation "don't want to have anything to do with him."

Azinger did not say he was misquoted, but that the spirit of his comments was taken out of context.

"I spoke to Nick," Azinger told The Associated Press. "It doesn't surprise me that this sort of thing has happened. Nick and I have dealt with the media our entire career, and we have burned by the media at times. But Nick and I are friends, and we'll be friends long after the Ryder Cup matches are over. I can see where the tabloids would try to turn it into a 'Nick vs. Paul' Ryder Cup."