The hero of The K Club Darren Clarke claims Nick Faldo will be a sensational Ryder Cup captain.
Clarke, who famously broke down after winning all his matches in the last Ryder Cup despite losing his wife just weeks before, says he doesn't care what opinion US captain Paul Azinger has of Faldo.
Azinger lit the blue touch paper by claiming that players want nothing to do with Faldo, saying there is 'no way' Colin Montgomerie will get a wild card because of Faldo's views of him.
The US captain was quoted in the Mail on Sunday as saying: "The bottom line is that the players from his generation and mine really don't want to have anything to do with him. He did what he did as a player, and there are relational consequences."
He went on to say that he'd like to have a round with Montgomerie so he could ask him to 'give me some stuff' on Faldo.
"Monty and Faldo don't seem to get along, and there's no way Faldo will award him one of his two wild cards," Azinger added.
Clarke said of the two captains: "They've obviously had a few clashes in the past, and you know Zinger's a very fiery personality - that's the way he is.
"The two of them don't see eye to eye - that's pretty much public knowledge.
"Nick kept himself to himself. He's always been like that. He was a very focused individual when he played.
"But it won't affect how people play for him. He's a six-time major champion - the best player we've ever had. Whether people like him or loathe him - and it's pretty obvious you have people in both camps - you cannot disrespect at any stage what he has done in the game.
"His record speaks for itself - he is a legend in the game of golf.
"Nick's been on Tour a very long time - and he will, I am sure, be a sensational captain. He might not go about it like Woosie or Mark James, but he'll be very thorough."
Faldo also received backing from Paul McGinley who stood down as an assistant captain last autumn allegedly because Faldo didn't involved him in the Seve Trophy.
McGinley claimed he pulled out of the role because he wanted to concentrate on playing the game instead.
He said of Faldo: "There's no way I'm going to comment on Azinger's quotes. Nick Faldo is captain of the European team and I am 100 per cent behind him."