Patrick Cantlay is not abiding by the “When in Rome” aphorism.
As Team USA is getting waxed by Europe in the 2023 Ryder Cup, Cantlay has raised eyebrows by neglecting to wear the team’s customary cap.
Cantlay’s refusal to wear the hat has brought about much curiosity and speculation.
“Understand from several sources that the US team room is fractured, a split led predominantly by Patrick Cantlay,” Sky Sports (UK) golf reporter Jamie Weir tweeted.
“Cantlay believes players should be paid to participate in the Ryder Cup, and is demonstrating his frustration at not being paid by refusing to wear a team cap.”
In response to a Daily Mail reporter who relayed Team USA’s pointing out that Cantlay also didn’t wear a hat at the Ryder Cup two years ago at Whistling Straits in Wisconsin, Weir wrote, “Pointing out he didn’t wear a cap two years ago merely says he believed he should’ve been paid then too and his position hasn’t changed!!”
Cantlay shrugged off the report after delivering a key point for the US team in the afternoon fourball session.
“It just doesn’t fit. It’s as simple as that,” Cantlay said in an on-course interview. “I didn’t wear it at Whistling Straits cause the hat just doesn’t fit. That’s just really all it is.”
Over the last couple of days, social media has been abuzz about Cantlay not wearing the hat.
“Silver linings for the U.S. – Patrick Cantlay already has his hat off, so conceding will be pretty easy,” golf writer Shane Ryan tweeted on Friday.
In a tongue-in-cheek response to a question about why his recurring podcast guest Brooks Koepka has been playing poorly, Barstool’s Dan Katz answered, “Hard to show up when Cantlay won’t wear the hat. How can you not wear the hat???”
NBC analyst Paul Azinger dismissed the report on the broadcast
“That’s just hearsay, it’s a garbage story,” Azinger said per Awful Announcing. “It’s just clickbait in my opinion. And I don’t believe it. Zach told everybody yesterday that this American team wasn’t feeling well. What are they supposed to be all huggy kissy? They’re saying they are separated in the locker room and there’s this big fracture and I just don’t believe it.”
The U.S. has had an extremely poor showing to start the Ryder Cup, to the extent that the competition is likely over.
Europe won Day One 6 ½ to 1 ½, and then started Saturday 3-1 to take a 9 ½ to 2 ½ lead into the afternoon fourballs.
Europe’s Viktor Hovland and Ludvig Aberg demolished Scottie Scheffler and Brooks Koepka, 9&7, in the biggest Ryder Cup defeat ever in the tournament’s 44-year history on Saturday morning.
Cantlay and Xander Schauffele lost their matchup to Rahm and Tyrrell Hatton, as Schauffele missed a putt on the 18th hole that would’ve made the matchup a tie for ½ a point each.
“People love to tear people down in social media,” Azinger said. “It’s a sewer sometimes and I hope I’m right, I just think that’s a garbage story.”
The U.S. would need to go 12-4 with the remaining 16 points to win.
