By Craig Swan

Copyright dailyrecord

Lanny Wadkins has lit a Ryder Cup fuse by claiming some Europeans are just wusses who can’t handle the crowd heat. The American icon launched the brutal barb as Luke Donald’s team prepare to go into a Bethpage bearpit. Wadkins was a stalwart of the scene making eight playing appearances between 1997 and 1993 before taking on the captain’s role in 1995 at The Belfry. During his time, he enjoyed some epic battles with Europe including four matches played on away soil with only two players winning more points in US competition history. Wadkins understands the situation Donald’s team are facing as Rory McIlroy and his team-mates get set to deal with the fearsome New York crowds. However, when asked on the Golf Channel if he had any concerns about the crowds on Long Island crossing the line in terms of behaviour, he responded: “Well I hope not. I don’t think they ever have. I think, most parts, they’ve been rowdy. “I always find it very interesting that we never say a word about what happens to us when we’re playing in Europe. “I know I’ve been on the first tee as far back as 1985, I got introduced and had the entire grandstands boo me. “You showed a picture of a shot I’m chipping in at 18 playing with Payne Stewart as my partner in an alternate shot match and there must be five, six people deep behind the green. “Everybody’s got their arms folded. Nobody applauding my eagle chip going in. They wanted it to miss. “So, I mean, we’ve got the same treatment over there. We just never complained about it. “Sometimes I think the Europeans are just a bunch of wusses and can’t handle the heat.” While the crowds may make it uncomfortable for the Europeans, Wadkins doesn’t think there will be anything to shock in terms of the course. Donald’s team practiced at the venue this week and the ex-skipper said: “I only played four Ryder Cups, I think, in Europe, and we played Lytham St Annes in ’77 and every other time we played the Belfry. “So the players knew the Belfry when we went back in ’89 and then ’93, were familiar with it. It was not anything special. It wasn’t a links course, something we hadn’t played. “There are enough Europeans playing over here and, essentially, any Ryder Cup course over here is going to be set up like a US Open or PGA Championship, so they already pretty much know what to expect when they get here. “I don’t think there are going to be any big surprises at that stage for the Europeans.” Wadkins is excited for the matches as the hosts aim to rip back the trophy they relinquished in dismal fashion two years ago in Rome. The hosts will be paid to play for the first time, but he said: “I don’t think the payment should matter. I think any of us would cut off a limb to play on the Ryder Cup team back when I played. We wanted to play so badly it never crossed our mind to be paid. “I don’t think any of the pay for play stuff came along until after I was done playing, but it was just a massive honour to represent your country. The money just didn’t even enter the equation.” Installing Keegan Bradley as captain was a bold move by the PGA of America and the man who did the job 30 years earlier believes he made the right call not to pick himself as a player. Wadkins said: “I think it was a great decision on Keegan’s part. He made exactly the right choice. Keegan’s going to be a fantastic captain. I love his energy, what he brings to it. His personality is perfect for a Ryder Cup captain. “He’s a fighter, he’s into it. He takes no crap off anybody. I like that with him a lot. The job is too big to try and play and, also, Keegan’s not Scottie Scheffler. I mean, let’s get right down to it. “As good a player as Keegan is, the amount of separation between him and, say, Sam Burns is not that great. Not compared to Scottie Scheffler or Tiger Woods . Those two guys may be a different situation. “Keegan’s personality is infectious. I think the players are going to really gravitate to him, lean on him. “He’s going to be the dominant voice in that room and I think that’s a plus for us. The Europeans, I think, are going to do that with Luke. “I’m just excited to see a great set of matches. What we’ve seen lately is they haven’t been all that close and I’d like to see a close Ryder Cup. “I think it’s going to happen. I think the teams are very, very evenly matched. I like the form our guys are in. They all seemed to play very, very well last week. I think they’re motivated. “I know that we were really, really motivated in ’89 over there. We tied and then we came back to Kiawah and won ’91. We were extremely motivated. And I think that’s a big part of it. “Do you want to win or do you not want to lose. That’s the choice some of the guys have to make.”