Azinger chose Dave Stockton, Raymond Floyd and Olin Browne as assistants, saying he was not looking for a ``babysitter'' but someone to share ideas and look over his shoulder.
Listening to Faldo cope with questions about whether assistants should be there to make sure Faldo doesn't make any mistakes, Azinger couldn't resist.
``He thought he made a mistake once, but he was mistaken,'' Azinger said with a laugh.
So it went for much of the 40-minute press conference on Monday as the two traded barbs, if not insight, into how they'll handle the pressure of coaching in golf's most famous match play event.
They became friends while sharing a booth on ABC's golf telecasts, and Azinger can't help but marvel at the way the notoriously dour Faldo has become a TV darling with his candid nature and razor-sharp lines.
``Things have changed,'' Azinger said. ``I never heard the guy complete a sentence in the 20 years I knew the guy. And now his voice activation system has switched on and we can't turn it off.''
Faldo said he doesn't expect to change his viewpoint next year, even if some of the guys he critiques in the booth will have to play for him later.
``I'm a how, what and why man, what's happening right in front of me,'' Faldo said. ``We won't have any problems.''
If anything, he won't hesitate to speak his mind. He caused a stir at the Seve Trophy last month when he was critical of frequent Ryder Cup player Colin Montgomerie's absence from three team meetings.
Asked if there was any fallout from the incident, Faldo at first pretended not to hear the question, then quickly brushed it off with a quick ``no fallout.''
Kidding aside, Faldo spoke passionately about the Ryder Cup and the opportunity to provide a final mark in a rivalry he's helped shape.
``The Ryder Cup is the biggest event that we have,'' he said. ``If I call a press conference about Nick Faldo Enterprises or whatever, I'd get 'X' number. If I called a press conference for Ryder Cup I'd get this. It just shows the interest we have, especially the last 20 years, it's on the media's mind almost every week.''
At which point Azinger jumped in.
``So the Ryder Cup is bigger than Nick Faldo Enterprises,'' Azinger said to raucous laughter. ``That's huge.''
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AP Golf Writer Doug Ferguson contributed to this report.
