BLOOMFIELD HILLS, United States (AFP) - European Ryder Cup golfers are preparing for the worst from American fans while United States captain Hal Sutton stressed his men are done apologizing for their bad behavior in 1999.
Memories of 1991's "War by the Shore" and 1999's "Battle of Brookline" haunt this year's "Showdown in Motown" as practice began Tuesday for the biennial team matches that open here Friday near Detroit, America's Motor City.
European captain Bernhard Langer, whose missed six-foot birdie putt cost his team the Cup in 1991 and brought cheers from a boorish US crowd, has his team ready for a repeat of the ugly taunts and poor sportsmanship from 1999 as well.
"I'm going to prepare them for the worst, which we hopefully won't experience," he said. "There have been occasions when the home crowd was very much against the other team. So I will prepare them for that.
"I'm hoping the players will behave like sportsmen and gentlemen as we normally do. I hope the crowd will be reasonable and fair."
This is the first Ryder Cup on US soil since the premature American victory celebration on the 17th hole at Brookline in 1999 after Justin Leonard sank a 45-foot birdie putt.
Spectacular as the shot was, the US team dancing on the green was an insult to the Europeans, who awaited Jose Maria Olazabal's 25-foot birdie putt to halve the hole and keep Europe's hopes alive.
The Spaniard missed and the US team claimed the Cup. But after a day of taunts and rudeness from over-the-top US supporters, the Europeans took motivation that inspired them to win back the Cup two years ago at the Belfry.
"Personally I think it was a little bit over the top," Langer said. "It's not a war. We're not shooting bullets. We're not trying to kill each other. We're actually just competing in a great contest. We're friends."
In the wake of the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks upon New York and Washington, the Ryder Cup was postponed for a year. Now golf should be less likely to spur such over-the-top behavoir.
"I think they did the right thing in pushing it back a year," said Northern Ireland's Darren Clarke. "The anticipation and excitement was still there at the Belfry a couple of years ago. But we have moved on since then."
US captain Sutton, a passionate member of that 1999 US squad, called for an end to dredging up memories of Brookline.
"Y'all have been kind of like a bad marriage partner," Sutton said. "We've apologized for five years for what happened in 1999. So y'all need to forget about that.
"The American players, if we had it to do over again, would not have run out on the green. But the truth of the matter is we're going to be ourselves. I've told all our players, 'Just go be a gentleman and be yourself.'
"I can't be concerned or try to control everybody else in the world. So we're going out there and we're going to be ourselves - no more apologies or anything else."
Security measures are tighter that in 1999 in the wake of an increased terrorist threat, but there are no special precautions for Scotland's Colin Montgomerie, who faced taunts of "Mrs. Doubtfire" and "Scotland Lard" in 1999, insults so demeaning his own father could not stand to watch.
Add to that Montgomerie's tabloid-fodder divorce from wife Eimear and it's no wonder Europe draws inspiration from the Scotsman.
"After everything he has been through in the past and especially this year, I think he will be even more prepared to take whatever he can out of this week," Clarke said.
"He has come through the other side of a lot of people having a go at him. That makes him a stronger and better person. He reacts sometimes maybe a bit too much. But that's just the way he is. He plays with his heart."
An abundance of alcohol kept the insults flowing at Brookline. But officials have taken steps here to crack down upon crackpots.
"If there's too much alcohol or too much this and that, some people lose control," Langer said. "We know once in a while they have gotten out of hand. We will do our utmost to keep it in the true spirit and let our clubs do the talking."
PGA of America President M.G. Orender said a crowd of nearly 40,000 will not be allowed to bring drinks onto the course and guards are ready to toss out hecklers whether or not they have had too much to drink.
"Anyone that exhibits unruly behavoir, we're going to get them off the property," Orender said. "We're not going to tolerate it. We're going to conduct these matches in the spirit they were intended.
"We're not expecting to throttle enthusiasm. People who cheer loudly, that's part of the Ryder Cup atmosphere and that's fine. If they abuse a player or officials from either side, our security staff has been asked to deal with it."