Pavin Enlists Fighter Pilot To Provide U.S. Team War-On-Terror Update

Hey, I'm just relaying what he said, as relayed in an unbylined AP story.

U.S. captain Corey Pavin brought in Maj. Dan Rooney, a decorated F-16 fighter pilot and a PGA of America golf professional, to speak with the American team on Tuesday.

"It wasn't so much a motivational speech," Pavin said, "but maybe a little more awareness of what's happening around the world and what's going on and how, in a military sense, how team unity and accountability to each other is very important.

On a serious note, Jeff Babineau talks to Rooney about his visit with the team.

Sam Weinman says that Rooney's presence brought out some questions from the anti-military industrial complex types in the media.

To Pavin: "Bearing in mind the severe criticism that you got for your choice of headgear at Kiawah Island, would it perhaps not have been wiser to perhaps distance yourself from military connotations during this captaincy?"

To Phil Mickelson: "Could you explain the Americans' apparent fondness for associating sport with war?"

Perhaps it would be a valid point if not for the fact that the fighter pilot in question is also a PGA professional and the driving force behind Patriot Golf Day, which benefits the families of solders wounded or killed in war.

James Corrigan suggests that Pavin's use of military might was ill-conceived.

Pavin denied it would have been more diplomatic to avoid military allusions during his captaincy, particularly as he was widely criticised for wearing a camouflage cap complete with Desert Storm insignia.

In fact, he even tried to justify his own part in the disgraceful scenes which saw the crowd go way beyond what is deemed acceptable in golf as they rallied around their boys dressed up like the troops fighting in the Gulf.

“That's what it was about at Kiawah, it was about supporting the troops in Desert Storm,” said the 50-year-old.

“Not only the US troops but the troops from Great Britain and around the world. What the military does is amazing. To put your life on the line for what you believe, and for the freedoms of other people, is the ultimate sacrifice. It's very worthwhile to recognise that.”

No doubt it is, but what's it got to do with sport?

Richard Williams wasn't quite as taken with the idea of mixing golf and military.

Deep emotions were being stirred there, of a kind that do not necessarily seem entirely appropriate to the context, which is a game of golf between two sets of millionaires. Nor are those emotions easily accessible to the European team, who sail under the insignia of a multinational trade association and whose only common allegiance is to their golf tour. No heartstrings are tugged when the EU flag is run up the pole. No European fighter planes will skim through the south Wales valleys to bring tomorrow's opening ceremony to a spine‑tingling climax.

The choice of Europe's inspirational voices highlighted the contrast. While Major Rooney was holding his audience spellbound with tales of the US mission to bring freedom to the world, the European golfers took a phone call from Seve Ballesteros – "our legend" Montgomerie said of the former captain, who is recovering in Santander from brain cancer – and listened to a talk by the great Welsh scrum-half Gareth Edwards on his experiences with the British and Irish Lions.

Montgomerie cannot summon up the memory of heroism and sacrifice at Yorktown, the Alamo, Vicksburg, Okinawa or Da Nang, or evoke the images of soldiers hoisting the tattered Stars and Stripes at Iwo Jima or defusing improvised explosive devices in Afghanistan.

Neither was Tom English.

But what's this American fascination with golf and war? America turned Kiawah into the War on the Shore. An air commander of some vintage spoke at the opening ceremony at Oakland Hills in 2004. Paul Azinger got his now famous 'pod' system for the 2008 matches from watching a documentary about the US Navy Seals on the Discovery Channel and now Major Dan is addressing the troops. Sorry, players.

"I haven't noticed that to be the case," said Mickelson, of the golf meets war question. "But I do feel proud to be part of a country that cares about the civil rights of people all throughout the world and not just in our own country."

Not aware of it, but perpetuating it. And with a perspective that may come as a surprise to the vast areas of the planet where the idea of America as a worldwide defender of civil rights makes about as much as sense as - beware, a dangerous golf analogy on its way amidst all the politics - Phil teeing it up with Tiger on Friday morning.

Major Dan Rooney spoke to The Guardian's Jamie Jackson about his talk to the U.S. team.