Gary Player has criticised the "war-like" nature of the modern Ryder Cup.

The South African great was speaking at the announcement of the inaugural UBS Warburg Cup.

It will be a Ryder Cup-style match between golfers aged 40 and over from the United States and the Rest of the World in November.

Player will captain the 12-man Rest of the World squad which will include European players.

Arnold Palmer, who along with Player is also at Royal County Down this week for the Senior British Open, will lead the US team.

Those committed to playing for the US include Jack Nicklaus, Curtis Strange, Hale Irwin, Ray Floyd and Larry Nelson.

Japan's Isao Aoki and New Zealander Frank Nobilo have already been selected for the Rest of the World.

The match will be played at Kiawah Island, which was the venue for the infamous 'War on the Shore' Ryder Cup clash between the US and Europe in 1991.

Then tensions both on an off the course reached unprecedented levels for a golf event.

Player, however, is certain there will be no repeat of the unruly scenes which tarnished the 1991 occasion.

Totally ridiculous

"I never thought I'd see the day when spectators would bring flags into a golf tournament," he said.

"Golf should not be a war which I feel the Ryder Cup has become.

"You have wives running on the green now before people even have a chance to putt which is totally ridiculous.

"Jack, Arnold and I were fierce competitors in our day but nothing like that ever happened.

"There was no bad feeling and when one of us won, the other two would congratulate him at the end and try to beat him the next week".