Huge security at The Belfry

The Ryder Cup at the Belfry next year will be without one facet of the game as the Committee announced yesterday extensive measures to stamp out yobbish behaviour as witnessed at Brookline last year and Kiawah Island in 1991.

Captain Sam Torrance has given the full backing to the idea that a 1200 strong team of marshals and other security measures are in place to stamp out the drunken, over zealous and xenophobic fans and avoiding a repeat of lasts years debacle at Brookline.

Gone will be the attitude of winning at all costs and making the American team feel unwanted at the Belfry and Torrance is out to make sure that the winner at the end of the three days battle will be the game of golf itself.

"The most important thing for me is winning, but not at all costs," the 47-year-old Torrance said.

"There is one thing in golf that is bigger than the Ryder Cup and that is the game itself, and its' reputation throughout the world. We have to uphold that reputation.

The Ryder Cup Committee who held a press conference yesterday at The Belfry also announced that close-circuit television and burly security guards will police the event, the biggest in golf and that a ban on alcohol in the numerous grandstands will be in effect. Course marshals will also urge spectators not to take and drinks out on to the course in fear of repeating the scenes of the Cup's marred past.

Torrance, who met his opposing Captain Curtis Strange in Los Angeles last week, has spoken at length with the US Captain in a bid to avoid any controversial scenes next year.

"Curtis has spoken to most of his team and they know they have a responsibility to tone it down a bit, as our team does, and I'm sure they will manage that.

"The thing is to have respect for your opponents before you play them and after you beat them!

"It's important to get the event back on the right track as we have done on every other occasion. That should be the priority going into every Ryder Cup.

"European supporters have always been exemplary but something definitely went wrong last time, and the Americans will feel more than anything that they want to get it back on the right lines. It's a huge issue over there."

"I would say do not applaud bad shots - that's the thing I hate most - never call out on anyone's backswing and be fair to both teams,"

"Be as loud as you want, but loud at the right times.

"It's a learning process even for spectators. The likes of Tiger Woods have attracted a whole new set of fans to the game and those who did not know much about golf will have learned a lot from Brookline.

"The people who were naive enough to shout things out will not do that again."