Westwood anger over Azinger's Faldo jibe

'I don't know why you'd stir it unless you were worried about the outcome,' Westwood said on Monday as he arrived at Augusta National for his ninth Masters.

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Hitting out: Westwood has taken a swipe at Azinger

Azinger was reported to have made disparaging remarks about the European captain, insisting in graphic terms that Faldo, despite attempts at re-inventing himself, remained unpopular with a generation of golfers.

Westwood, a veteran of five Ryder Cups, including four victories, was the first European player to leap to the defence of his captain. Like many, he felt Azinger's motives were directly related to a dismal American record of four defeats in the last five matches.

It is perhaps no accident that their only win in that period came at Brookline in 1999 in probably the most acrimonious contest in the history of the biennial contests.

'I think he must be trying to wind us up,' Westwood added. 'It must have been tongue in cheek. Nobody would be writing about the Ryder Cup just now if there wasn't a bit of mud-slinging.

'It does sound like playground stuff. Next it will be my daddy's bigger than your daddy. Comments like that can't be serious.'

Westwood denied that Faldo is not liked by a cohort of senior players who are likely to make the team. 'There was a dinner at the World Golf Championship when everyone turned up,' he said.

'I think everybody gets on with Nick. There's no European who's better respected. I've played with him in the Ryder Cup and he's great to play with.'

The mischievous nature of Azinger's remarks was emphasised by his suggestion that Faldo would not give Colin Montgomerie a wildcard because there was no love lost between the pair.

Even after the golfing storm broke at the weekend and the U.S. captain was trying to distance himself from the reported comments, he could not resist an extra stir.

He told an American journalists that Faldo had replied in text form: 'Zinger, I read this whole article and you don't like Monty more than me, do you?'

Faldo, a three-times Masters champion, is due to arrive in Augusta today to prepare for his week's work as a celebrated television commentator.