Azinger holds early visible edge in media battle

LOUISVILLE, Kentucky (Reuters) - If Ryder Cup success was judged solely on how the respective captains dealt with the media, Paul Azinger's U.S. team would be favourites to beat Nick Faldo's Europeans at Valhalla Golf Club this week.

Azinger, known for his competitive and gutsy attitude as a player, has delivered a polished and often witty display in his daily meetings with reporters covering the event.

He has also been in much more relaxed mood than Faldo, visibly confident in his preparations and taking great pains to loosen up his players as much as possible before Friday's opening foursomes matches.

The Americans have lost five of the last six matches against Europe and are under intense pressure to avoid suffering an unprecedented fourth defeat in a row.

Under the weight of mounting public expectation, they have wilted by being too tight out on the course and Azinger has made this failing a top priority in the build-up to this week.

Faldo, a six-times major champion held in high esteem by his European team, never relished dealing with the media in his playing days and has appeared as a reluctant participant in the interview room at Valhalla.

While Azinger has generally made a habit of giving detailed answers to questions from reporters, former world number one Faldo has strived to give away as little information as possible.

Although known for his dry English wit while working as a golf analyst on U.S. television over the last three years, his attempts at Ryder Cup humour have mainly backfired.

Acknowledged as one of the most successful players of all time, Faldo reached the pinnacle of the game by being totally self-absorbed, and this week he has often come across as defensive in his dealings with the media.

MEDIA FRENZY

On Wednesday, he sparked a frenzy in the interview room when he vacillated and backtracked over a scrap of paper caught on camera which appeared to detail his pairings for the opening day of competition.

After initially claiming the list of initials referred to sandwich orders by his players for lunch, he unconvincingly said the combinations were for Thursday's final day of practice.

"Okay, I've been caught," Faldo said. "I learned a lesson. You know the pairings and we are going to play foursomes on the front nine."

British newspapers on Thursday lambasted the European captain for his ham-fisted defence of his scribbled notes and Faldo unquestionably has much ground to make up on Azinger with regard to his image as a decisive captain.

The Englishman was also questioned this week on whether his ego could damage Europe's tradition of unity at the Ryder Cup.

"I am very, very confident I won't damage the team," Faldo told reporters. "I've got a dozen characters in there and I'm the quiet one in the team room right now. As Europe has always proved, the team spirit is instantly there."

Faldo and Azinger have established a reasonably close rapport in recent years after working together as commentators on TV broadcasts, having had very little in common as players.

"I don't know anybody who had a relationship with Nick 10 or 15 years ago so I'm probably not that different from anybody else," Azinger said earlier this week.

"I never heard the guy complete a sentence the first 20 years I knew him and now his voice activation has switched on and he can't turn it off. He's a different guy.

"Our relationship is pretty good but we're going to be really competitive against each other (as captains). I don't think either one of us wants to leave here with our head hanging."

(Editing by Trevor Huggins)