Tony Johnstone is one who is always very jovial and known to be blunt and to the point.
Little wonder when asked what the International Team’s reaction might be later this week if their USA rivals continued the protests in US sport by kneeling for the American national anthem ahead of the start of the 2017 Presidents Cup.
“It’s got absolutely bugger all to do with us”, said Johnstone.
“And I don’t think we’re in a position really to talk about it,” Johnstone said, adding that the players, drawn from countries around the globe, had discussed it and agreed.
“We’re here as sportsmen. We don’t want to get inveigled in any political discussion. You’ve got to be careful … It’s an American thing. Americans will take care of it.”
Tony Johnstone’s honest and to-the-point answer to the US national anthem controversy.
Johnstone says Captain, Nick Price along with other vice-captains, Mike Weir, Ernie Els and Geoff Ogilvy plus their 12-man team discussed the matter on arrival in New Jersey.
“We’ve had a unanimous agreement that none of us are Americans, so it’s got absolutely bugger all to do with us,” he said.
And Johnstone said he hoped the US players, a who’s who of the world’s best led by world No 1 Dustin Johnson, second-ranked Jordan Spieth and including five-time major winner Phil Mickelson, wouldn’t get drawn into a contentious debate to the detriment of the tournament.
“I hope they don’t,” he said. “We had a fantastic golf match and I hope it stays at that level. I just hope they don’t get any pie on their face and just leave it alone. We’re golfers.”
