SBNation.com - 2010 PGA Championship: Corey Pavin, Jim Gray Get Into Altercation At Press Conferencehttps://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/46737/sbn-fave.png2010-08-11T16:56:06-04:00http://www.sbnation.com/rss/stream/13822332010-08-11T16:56:06-04:002010-08-11T16:56:06-04:002010 PGA Championship: Ryder Cup Captains Brawl With Media Over Separate Controversies
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<p>At Whistling Straits on Wednesday, the two Ryder Cup captains for the matches this October met before the media - presumably to talk about golf, the matches, and potential team members. Instead, the press conference largely focused upon separate controversies that each captain is facing.</p>
<p>The lead story of the conference was a conflict between Golf Channel contributor (and <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/2010/7/8/1559490/lebron-james-decision-nba-free-agency-heat-cavaliers-espn">The Decision</a> host) Jim Gray and US Ryder Cup captain Corey Pavin. Gray reported last night that Pavin told him in a conversation that Woods would be one of four captain's picks for the American team were he not to qualify through points after this week. </p>
<p><a href="http://www.waggleroom.com/2010/8/11/1617202/source-pavin-did-not-speak-with">Waggle Room was first to question Gray's reporting</a>, citing a source in the Pavin camp. Pavin then tweeted this morning to claim he was misquoted by Gray.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.golf.com/golf/tours_news/article/0,28136,2009925,00.html?cid=feed-tours_news-20100811-2009925">Pavin clarified his stance in the press conference</a>, saying, <span style="font-family: Arial, Geneva, Helvetica, Verdana, sans-serif;">"I had a conversation with Jim Gray yesterday just outside the locker room near where we registered, and he asked me a few questions, and his interpretation of what I said is incorrect.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: Arial, Geneva, Helvetica, Verdana, sans-serif; line-height: 12px;"> </span></p>
<p>"There's nobody promised any picks. It would be disrespectful to everybody who is trying to make the team."</p>
<p>Gray, clearly upset by Pavin's open questioning of his integrity, approached Pavin after the press conference. The conversation quickly escalated into a nose-to-nose stand-off. Gray told Pavin he was a liar and that Pavin was "going down." Pavin retaliated, saying Gray was "full of ****."</p>
<p>As Gray was leaving the conversation, Pavin asked, "You're just going to walk off?" which set off additional jawing. Pavin's wife Lisa also got involved in the war of words.</p>
<p>For its part Golf Channel has said through a spokesman, "We 100 percent stand behind the accuracy of Jim Gray’s story."</p>
<p>After the incident, <a href="http://www.golfweek.com/news/2010/aug/11/corey-pavin-jim-gray-tiger-woods-argument-golf/?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter">Pavin told a small group of reporters</a>, "He asked me if I was going to pick him (Woods), and I said, ‘I’m not going to answer that question.’ Are you kidding? . . . He would not be my first choice (to tell); I’ll tell you that. He wouldn’t be my second, third or fourth, either."</p>
<p>"He threw a quote out there as a quote of mine that is totally misrepresentitive of anything that I said. He asked me if I was going to pick Tiger. All of you guys have asked me that. . . . Obviously he’s just trying to get a story out there. But if you start making stuff up, it makes me mad."</p>
<p>Colin Montgomerie, for his part, was not without uncomfortable stretches of his press conference. Monty was asked directly about reports - <a href="http://www.waggleroom.com/2010/8/11/1617408/monty-pics-blocked-by-super">including those by Waggle Room</a> - that embarrassing pictures of him are in the possession of ex-flame Paula Tagg, and he had achieved a so-called 'super-injunction' to prevent their publishing.</p>
<p>His initial response was, "I know a lot of you are having a lot of fun right now at my expense."</p>
<p>Monty followed up by saying, "Let me clear this up, though, that I can categorically say that there's no injunction against the News of the World. I'm really not going to discuss this any -- any further. All I can say is categorically there is no injunction against the News of the World regarding anything."</p>
<p>Asked again about an injunction - this time against Tagg and not News of the World - Monty cowered with a non-confirmation confirmation.</p>
<p>"No further questions on that or any other subject regarding anything -- or anything regarding my private life."</p>
https://www.sbnation.com/2010/8/11/2319192/2010-pga-championship-ryder-cup-captains-brawl-with-media-overRyan Ballengee