LOUISVILLE, Ky. -- Ben Curtis received a text message Tuesday. It read, “Go Europe.”

It was from his regular caddie, Andy Sutton. And it was meant as a needling joke. Curtis is playing in his first Ryder Cup this week and his caddie, an Englishman, is rooting for Europe. That’s why Sutton isn’t on the bag for Curtis this week, although he did have the job when Curtis won the 2003 British Open. They didn’t want to have even the appearance of mixed allegiances. So Sutton stepped off and was replaced by Tony Navarro, Adam Scott’s caddie.

Curtis and Sutton have been having fun with the whole idea. When the Ryder Cup began to look like a possibility, Curtis told him, I can’t have you caddying for me. And Sutton responded, I can’t work for you. They gave each other grief but, deep down, they knew they weren’t totally kidding.

“He said he’d do it if I really wanted him to, but it would be better if I found an American,” Curtis said recently.

So their badgering will continue this week. Curtis answered Sutton’s text with this: “Go bother a European player.”

They’ll be back together next week at the Tour Championship in Atlanta. Asked how their reunion will go, Curtis grinned saying it would depend upon the Ryder Cup’s outcome.

“It’ll either be a middle finger or a big hug,” he said.

(Photo: Sam Greenwood/Getty Images)