Dubai: Danny Willett isn’t fearing any backlash from American fans when he returns to the US for his first tournament there since last year’s controversial Ryder Cup, this month.
Willett will play the Honda Classic at Palm Beach Gardens in Florida, February 20-26, just five months after his brother Peter penned an offensive column about American fans ahead of the Ryder Cup.
It left a subsequently misfiring Willett red-faced and singled out for abuse in one of the most vitriolic atmospheres at a Ryder Cup in recent history.
“I feel like I’ve had a very good relationship with American fans for a long, long time, every time I’ve gone over there,” said Willett, speaking ahead of this week’s Omega Dubai Desert Classic at Emirates Golf Club, where the 2016 Masters winner is defending champion.
“Yeah, the Ryder Cup tainted things a little bit, but I think people realise that obviously words were said and stuff, but they were obviously not mine, so there shouldn’t be any issues.
“I wouldn’t have thought… you’d hope not anyway, people might… but if they do, that’s their choice. Let’s hope it doesn’t go there, but we’ll have to wait and see.”
Willett said last year’s Dubai win set the ball rolling for his first Major victory at the Masters, but he acknowledged it would be difficult to try and replicate that just from memories alone.
“There’s so many variables… the only thing you can really control, and that you can really plan to try and do the same, is to work as hard as you did last time.
“If that leads to playing great, fine, if it doesn’t, you know, you’re just going to keep working hard and wait for the next chance you get.
“I think what Dubai and Augusta did tell me is that if I keep working hard, when I get the chances, I feel like I’m pretty ready to take them there and then, which is massive confidence-wise to be able to tell yourself when to play good.”
Willett missed the cut and finished tied for 121st in Abu Dhabi last week, but says the fact Tiger Woods is playing in Dubai this week will help him raise his game. The two pair off together here from 8.15am alongside Matt Fitzpatrick on Thursday.
“I watched pretty much every shot of his two rounds last weekend and it was just great seeing him back in action,” said Willett of Woods, who missed the cut at the Farmers Insurance Open, last weekend, in his first PGA event in 17 months since recovering from injury.
“Tiger doesn’t play events just because he wants to play them. He plays events because he knows that he’s got a good chance when he turns up.
“He’s coming here to try and win and that’s great for the European Tour to have, arguably the greatest player of all time, come to Dubai and try and take that championship trophy away on Sunday.
“There’s a few of us that are going to try and stop him, but yeah, it’s great to have him back playing and fortunately enough I’ll be around all week to witness it.”
