CHASKA, Minn. -- Darren Clarke has been forced on to the defensive after Danny Willett's brother published an abusive attack on American fans.
Pete Willett attracted uncritical attention for his posts on social media during his brother's victory at the Masters, but his latest remarks for National Club Golfer have caused a stir that disrupted Team Europe's preparations at Hazeltine National on Wednesday.
In a blog entitled "Pete Willett: I ain't partisan, he's my brother ...", he makes a series of attacks on the Team USA following, calling them a "baying mob of imbeciles", and "pudgy basement-dwelling irritants", among other things.
If the teacher meant to be tongue-in-cheek, he missed his mark by some distance, calling on the European team "to stun the angry, unwashed, Make America Great Again swarm".
There was plenty more -- it wasn't limited to attacks on fans -- and Clarke stepped in to try to stop any bad feeling between the teams when asked about the blog at a media conference.
"I just was made aware of the article about an hour ago," Europe's captain said. "As soon as I did [see it], I went out to find Danny, who was playing in the last group out there this morning.
"I spoke to Danny about it. I showed it to Danny. And he's bitterly disappointed in his brother's article. It is not what Danny thinks. It is not what I think. It is not what Team Europe stands for."
Clarke appeared unhappy to have had to deal with this episode so close to Friday's start and Danny Willett also later distanced himself from the comments, saying they had proved a distraction during practice.
"I'd like to apologize to everyone involved for what's been said," he told the Golf Channel. "It's not the thoughts of myself and the team.
"I spoke to him [Pete] on the phone after I was made aware and said I was disappointed in what was written about the American fans that obviously took me under their wing fantastically back in April.
"As soon as I got done on the golf course, I went to see Davis [Love III] and had a chat for a few minutes about it all. He took it very well and I think he's drawn a line under it for himself and for the team.
"Hopefully, everyone else can do the same and we can get on and have a great tournament."