American Ben Curtis has been forced to find a stand-in bagman for the Ryder Cup after his usual caddie Andy Sutton insisted he wants to cheer for Europe.

Curtis, who first linked up with Sutton in the week he won the 2003 Open at Sandwich, qualified for a cup debut with his joint runner-up finish in the US PGA two weeks ago.

"Ben and I spoke about it a few years ago, briefly," Sutton, from Maidstone, told the espn.com website. "I said if he ever made the team I want Europe to win, so I'd struggle to work for an American."

Curtis commented: "We were joking around and just giving each other a lot grief, but deep down we both knew what was going to happen, so it made it easier.

"He said he would do it if I really wanted him to, but it just worked out better if I just found an American."

Tony Navarro, current caddie of Australian Adam Scott and formerly with Greg Norman, will carry Curtis' bag at Valhalla.

Sutton, who worked at the event for Joakim Haeggman in 1993, will be on holiday and added that his dream Ryder Cup was Curtis winning all his matches - but Europe thrashing the United States for a third time in a row.