SEVILLE, Spain (AFP) - England Ryder Cup star Paul Casey has lost his sports contract with a U.S. company that helped sponsor him days after making anti-American comments in a newspaper interview.
Casey was quoted as saying that at times he hated Americans and thought they could be stupid even though he went to college in the United States and has a US girlfriend and coach.
He later said that his "hate" jibe had been an off-the-cuff remark that subsequently had been taken out of context.
But it provoked a storm of protest when it became public in the United States and, playing here this week for his country in the World Cup, he found his e-mail jammed with an angry backlash.
Now, his sponsor Acushnet, makers of Titleist clubs and balls, have announced that they will not renew his contract with him for next year.
In a statement Wally Uihlein, chairman and chief executive officer of Acushnet, said: "First and foremost, we want people to understand that Mr Casey`s comments do not reflect the views of the Acushnet Company and were not made in his capacity as a endorser of our products.
"In addition, Mr Casey`s contract expires on December 31 and both parties have mutually agreed that it will not be renewed or extended."
Casey has expressed regret at what he said, claiming that it was weighing heavily on his mind and preventing him from sleeping properly.
But his comments got a chilly reaction in the American camp here represented by Scott Verplank and Bob Tway.
Verplank said that the remarks would not help Casey when he plays on the US Tour next year.
"If he`s really that uncomfortable or that annoyed or anything I don`t think anybody would miss him if he went back to England.
There was an unusual protest against Casey too from the American wife of South African player Rory Sabbatini.
She confronted Casey on Friday with a T-shirt emblazoned with the words "Stoopid Amerikan" and commented: "Call this my political statement. I saw what he said about us and didn`t like it, so I printed this last night.
"He saw me and smiled, but then he read what my T-shirt had on it and quit smiling."
Casey`s comments came at a time of renewed trans-Atlantic strains in the world of golf with a European perception of US Tour arrogance and the decision of the top US players not to travel to Spain for the World Cup.
11/20/2004 - 13:12 GMT - AFP