SHEBOYGAN, Wis. — In an argument as acrimonious as any Ryder Cup match, a Golf Channel reporter pointed his finger at Corey Pavin's chest and accused the U.S. captain of lying about comments that Tiger Woods will be picked for the team.

Jim Gray approached Pavin after a news conference Wednesday, and they stood no more than a foot apart, facing off as if they were in the middle of a boxing ring. Pavin's wife, Lisa, pulled out her mobile phone and recorded the conversation.

Pavin said Gray called him "a liar" and said, "You're going down."

As Gray turned to walk away, Pavin barked at him, "You're just going to walk away?" They continued to argue, although not loud enough that their words could be heard by about a half-dozen reporters.

By golf's genteel standards, this was quite the rumble.

Gray reported Tuesday evening that Pavin told him he would pick Woods for the Ryder Cup if he didn't make the team on his own at the PGA Championship. He quoted Pavin as saying — it was not on camera — "Of course I'm going to. He's the best player in the world."

Pavin was so angry when he heard about this Wednesday morning that he tweeted while on the golf course that "Jim Gray has misquoted me re: picking Tiger. I never said such a thing and will not say a thing until 09/07."

Pavin is to announce his four captain's picks on Sept. 7 in New York.

The Golf Channel said in a statement that it stands "100 percent behind the accuracy of Jim Gray's report. As far as any subsequent conversation between Jim and Corey Pavin, it was meant to be private and should remain as such."