Wednesday 11 March 2020 19:40, UK
Paul Azinger has reiterated that he was not intending to disrespect the European Tour with his comments that did not go down well with the likes of Lee Westwood and Ian Poulter during the Honda Classic.
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The Golf Channel analyst caused a stir when he was attempting to describe the differences in pressure between the PGA Tour and the European Tour when Tommy Fleetwood was in the thick of contention during the final round at PGA National.
"There is a lot of pressure here," said Azinger during the live broadcast. "You know you are trying to prove to everybody you've got what it takes. These guys know, you can win all you want on that European Tour, the international game and all that, but you have to win on the PGA Tour."
His comments were branded as condescending and disrespectful by Poulter and Westwood, a winner of 44 professional titles in 19 different countries worldwide including two on the PGA Tour.
Azinger later insisted his comments were not malicious and that he meant no disrespect, and he clarified the point he was trying to get across in an in-depth interview with Sky Sports ahead of this week's Players Championship.
"It's a big deal if you can win over here on the PGA Tour, and that's really what I was trying to say," said the former Ryder Cup captain. "I wasn't trying to insult anyone who plays on the European Tour, I know how hard that is. It's a pretty big leap to say I don't respect what those guys do on in Europe, that's not what I was trying to say at all.
"Some guys choke over the money and the prestige, and we've got most of both on the PGA Tour, that's the point I was trying to get across.
"To tell you the truth, I really wanted Tommy Fleetwood to win the Honda Classic, and it would have been a big deal to win over here, just like it was for Tyrrell Hatton at Bay Hill last week. That was a huge deal for Tyrrell, and he'll tell you that too."
Click on the video above to see the Sarah Stirk's full interview with Paul Azinger ahead of golf's unofficial fifth major at TPC Sawgrass, live all week on our dedicated channel - Sky Sports The Players...
