There is surely no American player who will be remembered more synonymously with the 2023 Ryder Cup than Patrick Cantlay, with the world number 11 at the centre of a number of events over the week in Rome.
Patrick Cantlay looked set to be one of Zach Johnson’s key men at Marco Simone, having finished fourth in the qualification standings and earning an automatic spot on the Ryder Cup team. However, the first piece of significant drama involving the then-31-year-old concerned what was happening behind the scenes.
Reports emerged on Saturday morning that there was a split within the American team, with Cantlay at the heart of it. It was also claimed that Cantlay was not wearing a cap due to the team not being paid. He did deny those claims, but that did not stop the European fans producing some of the images of the week as they all waved their caps. Rory McIlroy suggested it was an ‘amazing’ sight during the latter stages of his match with Cantlay on Saturday.
Of course, Cantlay became even more of a pantomime villain shortly after as he holed a long putt to win that match against McIlroy and Matthew Fitzpatrick. That sparked a heated exchange between McIlroy and Cantlay’s caddie Joe LaCava.
What Jay Monahan decided before Patrick Cantlay’s singles match at the 2023 Ryder Cup
And it seems that PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan was concerned about the reception Cantlay would get on Sunday during his singles match with Justin Rose. Speaking on the Golf Channel Podcast after the Ryder Cup, Rex Hoggard suggested that there were genuine fears that someone in the crowd would cross the line at some stage.
“He was heckled at every turn. It was vicious out there,” he said.
“I can tell you the PGA Tour has a security person here on site. He was here in Rome, and he’s normally at PGA Tour events and that security person was here in Rome to be alongside the commissioner Jay Monahan, who was also here in Rome, and he has become a public figure to the point where they feel like they need to have someone with him all the time. That’s a separate conversation. Jay cut him loose to go walk with Patrick today, because he knew how difficult it was going to be.
“You get heckled, you get yelled at at Ryder Cups, but they knew it was going to be next level. And to deliver the way he did, to deliver with a chip on his shoulder, I think it shows a different side of Patrick Cantlay that we probably haven’t seen.”
What Cantlay said in Rome about the reports claiming he was protesting about not being paid
Of course, Cantlay was never going to confess to starting a rift in the American team after such a heavy defeat. He attempted to completely dismiss the reports after his match with Rose.
“It’s totally false. It couldn’t be further from the truth. There hasn’t been one word of that all week. The US Team has been close all week,” he said.
What is interesting is that this year has perhaps shed fresh light on what happened in Rome. The PGA of America have confirmed that their Ryder Cup players will each receive $500,000 from 2025, with $300,000 set to be donated to charity.
The outside world will never know how big a role Cantlay played in the change, but clearly, many feel Cantlay now owes an apology for his behaviour at times during the week.
Thankfully for him, the crowds in 2025 are likely to be much more hospitable.
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