Ex-Europe Ryder Cup skipper James says Mickelson 'wrong' to slam Watson

Former Europe Ryder Cup team captain Mark James has said that American golf ace Phil Mickelson had been wrong to criticise United States (U.S.) skipper Tom Watson after the defending champions easily retained the cup.

With Watson sitting nearby, Mickelson had told a news conference that the captain had not engaged with the players.

James, Europe's 1999 Ryder Cup captain, said that one stands by the captain and the captain stands by the team, adding that it is pretty much an unwritten rule. He said that one does not criticise the players and the players do not criticise one back, The BBC reported.

Mickelson, who was left out by Watson on Saturday, said that the Americans should have stuck with the system that worked so successfully for Paul Azinger in 2008, the last captain to guide the U.S. to victory.

The five time major winner, who won two out of a possible three points, said that Watson had strayed from a winning formula.

But a number of former European captains have said that the ex-world number two should have aired his opinion in a private conversation. Nick Faldo, under whose stewardship Europe lost to Azinger's team in 2008, said that Mickelson had thrown his captain right under the bus.

And James said that Watson has an unblemished record among his peers and has great respect from them all, adding that it is all well Mickelson having a go at his skipper for not trying the Azinger method but the last two captains didn't use the Azinger method either so Mickelson has had six years to say something.