Corey Pavin, Jim Gray argue over Ryder Cup report

SHEBOYGAN, Wis. -- Who knew the Ryder Cup could cause so much drama?

The day before the PGA Championship began, a snafu broke out over a Golf Channel report that quoted Ryder Cup captain Corey Pavin saying he would choose Tiger Woods for this year’s U.S. squad if Woods doesn’t finish in the top eight of the point standings.

At his news conference Wednesday, and on his Twitter account, Pavin claimed he was misquoted by Golf Channel contributor Jim Gray, and that he has not selected anyone to be on the team.

Only on Sept. 7 will he reveal who his four captain’s picks are.

Gray “asked me a few questions and his interpretation of what I said is incorrect,” Pavin said. “There’s nobody that’s promised any picks right now. It would be disrespectful to everybody that’s trying to make the team.”

Gray had quoted Pavin as saying of Woods, “Of course I’m going to [pick him]. He’s the best player in the world.”

Gray stuck to his story in subsequent Golf Channel reports, and he and Pavin later got into a heated exchange after Pavin’s news conference, where Gray called Pavin a liar and told him, “You’re going down.”

“He went nuts when he came in here,” Pavin told reporters after the incident. “He said, ‘You’re going down,’ then he turned around and walked away and I’m like, ‘Down for what? You making stuff up?’ ”

As captain, Pavin will pick four team players from those who did not finish in the top eight of the point system used to determine who makes the team. Woods, because he has not played in many events this year and because of his poor play of late, is currently 10th.