Monty Thinks Sandy Lyle Is Very, Very Funny

This AP story is so much fun. Monty, asked what he thought of Lyle's delusions of a vice captaincy:

"I thought that it was rather amusing when he said he hoped it doesn't jeopardize his vice captaincy position. I thought it was very, very funny."

Sandy the comedian couldn't keep his trap shut Friday either.

Each time Lyle has tried to explain himself, he has added fodder for British media. Friday was no exception.

"It's been taken probably a little out of context," Lyle said after a 73 to finish at 8-over 148. "I have never, ever tried to sort of stir the pot. I hope he goes out and shoots about a 67 and all will be forgotten."

Oh no, he didn't do it again?

"I'm not fabricating anything. It's all been dealt with over the last so many months and years about what happened in Jakarta," Lyle told BBC TV. "I'm just going about my business and sometimes I have to just protect myself as well. I was hassled a lot from the press about the jeopardy of the captaincy of the Ryder Cup, was my walking off the golf course putting me in trouble.

"Monty wasn't exactly squeaky clean, was he? He's had his troubles as well."

Lyle said that he was reluctant to say any more about the conflict with Montgomerie, who has won a record eight Order of Merit titles.

"I feel sorry for Colin in some ways because I don't really want to keep stirring the pan and I keep opening my mouth and keep making the back pages," Lyle said. "I think we have to call it an end and deal with it behind the scenes."

Really, decided four days was enough?

Lyle was asked whether it was bad judgment in the circumstances to refer to Montgomerie on Thursday as a "drama queen."

"He's an emotional sort of person and gets a bit hot under the collar and I suppose with comments like this and the papers it doesn't help," Lyle said. "But he'll get over it. He's a big enough boy and he'll go out there and play golf and I hope he shoots 68 today."

Contacted soon after by GeoffShackelford.com for clarification, Lyle was asked again about how he hoped Monty would play in response to being called a cheater.

"As I've said, he's a tough man, I really hope he goes out and fires a 69 today, or a 70, maybe a 71, and in this wind, anything under 85 would be impressive for a man of his talents."