Victorious 1991 USA captain, Dave Stockton has fuelled renewed interest in the Kiawah Island Ryder Cup some 21 years on and singling out  European captain, Bernard Gallacher saying the Scot ‘saw controversy in every friggin’ corner.’

Stockton, also a double PGA champion, was a guest in the Media Centre and was accompanied by his two golf teaching sons, Dave Junior and Ronnie.

There was large poster size pictures of Stockon and his former Orange County beauty queen wife, Cathy in front of Stockton as he spoke with the assembled media.

Photograph in foreground of Dave Stockton, his wife and young son Dave Jnr after capturing the 1970 PGA Championship with Stockton and two sons on the dias. PGA's Kelly Elbin on far right of dias. (Photo - Eoin Clarke/www.golffile.ie)

One picture showed Dave Junior just a little taller than the Rodman Wanamaker Trophy won by his father in 1970.  The second photograph was taken in 1976 and with Ronnie, then only a baby, actually sitting inside the trophy.

Stockton is being honoured later tonight by the PGA of America, at the now annual former Champions dinner, with a ‘Distinguished Services’ award.

However if you thought the bad blood between Stockton and European Team captain, Bernard Gallacher following the 1991 Ryder Cup was over then you’re horribly mistaken.

Stockton was asked given the result of the 1991 Ryder Cup how important was it in the present state of the Ryder Cup.

“Well, first of all, most of the controversies were in Bernhard Gallagher’s mind, okay,” said Stockton.

“He saw suspicious happenings around every single frigging corner.

“Two things I didn’t like:  It would have helped if the PGA hadn’t called it the ‘War By the Shore,’ and it would have helped if I hadn’t have been a hunter.  And I decided I was going to have some camouflage hats because we were just coming out of Desert Storm, and I was going to be able to use those hunting hats later on.

“My time on the Ryder Cup is totally different than everybody else’s.

“Yes, I wanted to get it back.  No, not at all costs, but I did want to, and I’ll take full blame for this:  Stop doing some 50‑some corporate outings a year to go to zero, so I could go around the United States publicizing to anybody that wanted me to speak to different groups that they ought to understand what The Ryder Cup means to the players and they ought to support us.

“So as near as I could tell ‑‑ I remember the first tee at Kiawah to me was two guys, one in the Union Jack, and one with the Spanish flag yelling like crazy when the Europeans teed off and when we teed off they were clapping and they were very polite.  I never set foot in the tent.

“Junior told me now how many beers he had in the tent.  I guess he wanted to make sure that we were covering all our bases.

“But to me it was great.  From the Tuesday cookout where there were no PGA of America officials, and I wouldn’t allow either on either side.  But both teams could bring any of their immediately family and come, but no officials, because I wanted just to meet.

“Two, the final going to the last dinner when they have two buses, the American bus and the European bus, right.  Except for Woosie, he comes up to me and said, “Stock, we can get everybody on, we’re only two people shy.”  And with that he picks up Corey Pavin and carries him on the bus so he counts as one person.

Dave Stockton reopens old 1999 Ryder Cup wounds. (Photo - Eoin Clarke/www.golffile.ie)

“So I mean, I understand.  And everybody ‑‑ I appreciated Watson following me, saying he was going to try to get some civility back into it and all that.  That’s fine.  I’m all for that.  That’s part of the core values of this game we play.

“But I’ll tell you what, I stirred up a hornet’s nest, but I don’t care, because there will be hornets out there at Medinah this year.  And it’s good to have; we tend to get complacent.  We can’t sing as good as the Europeans.  We’ve got no chance to sing as good.  As long as our clubs play better, I don’t care.

“But the controversy with Gallagher, poor guy.

“He was ‑‑ I mean, what did I do, sabotage the radios?  I obviously killed Steve Pate and kept David Guilford from playing the last day, all these different things.  It was interesting.”

And before leaving the Media Centre, Stockton was also asked if he had ever spoken to Gallacher in the intervening years.

“I’ve seen him a couple of times but then have I tried to talk to Gallacher?,” said Stockton.

“No, he’s not a friend of mine.

“I’m not even sure he likes himself and I don’t think it’s worth my time to speak with him.”