Thomas Bjorn, chairman of the European Tour players’ committee, today heavily criticised Padraig Harrington for his reaction to a possible tightening up of membership rules.

“I don’t believe in protectionism — I wonder if there may be a case for the European Union,” Harrington had been quoted as saying after hearing that players may have to increase their commitment to some European events next season.

The issue will be discussed at committee level again in Portugal next week, but Bjorn hit out at the Dubliner today: “I don’t know where Padraig is coming from, and he always uses the press.

“He never comes to people on the committee and never will do. It’s his committee — he does not seem to understand that. He seems to think that he is above it. We have discussions, he gets word of it and then he uses the press to slam the Tour.

“Pretty much everything we do is to protect our leading players, but as chairman I have to look at every member as an equal. I find it disappointing that he does not come to me and talk. Instead he goes to the press and then it becomes a public discussion.

“I don’t want to have a war of words with him, but we are a committee of 15 — and that includes people like Monty, Clarky, Stenson, Karlsson, Jimenez and McGinley.

“They have all been out here a long time, so whose opinion are we going to give more weight to? We love having Padraig here in Europe, but there’s a lot of experience on that committee.

“He may have won three majors, but Monty has won eight Order of Merits and knows all there is to know about the Tour. We make decisions through discussions, and we also take a lot of lead from our executive.

“Padraig would need to play only one more event here if this proposal goes through. That’s not asking a lot — and for him to threaten going to the European Union is out of order.”