Subscribe to our free sports newsletter to get the latest news on everything from cycling to boxing
Sign up to our free sports email to get the latest news
On a scorching hot day in Rome, the scoreboard finally turned red and the Ryder Cup began.
The trigger was a bizarre message that set off a chain of events that turned American Patrick Cantlay into a pantomime villain, led to members of both teams exchanging angry words on the 18th green and finally culminated in Rory McIlroy cursed angrily in the clubhouse parking lot.
It began when news broke around lunchtime that Cantlay wasn’t wearing a Team USA cap on the course, as a silent protest against the lack of pay to play in the Ryder Cup. Cantlay later strenuously denied it, but not before European fans had taken the opportunity to heckle him at every hole by shouting: “Where’s your hat, Patty?”
Comments followed him everywhere. As his chip rolled agonizingly past the fourth hole, a voice from the hill shouted, “You want money for that?” The joke spread and spread throughout the Marco Simone Golf Club, so that when he reached the 16th place, a huge crowd of Spectators waved their hats in the air as if they were saying goodbye to the Titanic, chanting “Hats off to your bank account” as he walked down the fairway. After keeping a poker face for most of the day, Cantlay finally smiled.
But he was clearly upset, and when he coolly sank a crucial long putt on the 18th, he quickly tossed an imaginary cap toward the fans. His caddy, Joe LaCava, took the celebrations a step further, waving his own hat wildly to draw angry boos from the crowd. McIlroy tried to set up his own putt and glared at LaCava, who stepped back. Shane Lowry and other European teammates watching were angry and shouted at LaCava to show some respect.
“When Patrick made that putt, Joe waved his hat,” said European captain Luke Donald. Rory politely asked Joe to step aside, he was in his line of sight. He stayed and waved his hat, and I think Rory was upset about that.”
McIlroy and teammate Matt Fitzpatrick both missed their putts to confirm the USA’s much-needed point, and words exchanged during the post-match handshake, first between McIlroy and LaCava and then between Lowry, Justin Rose and the under Caddy under fire. Caddies are supposed to protect their players at all costs and it was hard to tell whether LaCava had relieved or elevated Cantlay.
McIlroy stares at LaCava on the 18th green
(PA)
That wasn’t the end. Lowry was later filmed pinning McIlroy in an angry exchange outside the clubhouse involving another US caddy, Jim “Bones” Mackay. McIlroy was seen pointing and swearing at someone off camera.
Asked about the video of an angry McIlroy, Donald said: “Rory is a passionate player, I’ll talk to him about it later.”
After the game, McIlroy said collisions on the 18th green would only further motivate his desire to succeed on Sunday. “Obviously they had a great finish and Patrick made three great putts at the end to seal the deal, so hats off to them. “They played a great game. Yes, there are a few scenes on the 18th and tomorrow it’s just fuel for the fire.”
Cantlay was peppered with questions in an awkward press conference but refused to comment on his caddie’s behavior. “He’s the best,” he said of LaCava. “That’s all there is to say.”
U.S. team members mimic the hat celebration
(Portal)
It was no surprise that the tensions led to conflict, which was always an emotional rivalry. In 30C heat there were bound to be flashpoints on a golf course where some fans had been drinking all day, and McIlroy’s heavyweight bout with Cantlay was always the likeliest scene.
Four games took place over the course of the afternoon, but it seemed that half the Italian population was watching this game. Captains and vice-captains, friends and family of the players, glamorous wives being chauffeured around. Marshals in bibs, police with guns, photographers, journalists and radio presenters whispering into microphones. Niall Horan. Justin Timberlake. Peter Jones from Dragons’ Den. A relentless stream of well-dressed Italians who were probably friends of fashion designer and course owner Lavinia Biagiotti.
The match featured world No. 5 Cantlay, US Open champion Wyndham Clark and former US Open champion Fitzpatrick, but this was the Rory Show, a traveling circus around him as he put on small solo performances. How on the fourth green, as fans filled a grandstand and a steep bank formed a mini-amphitheater, there was silence and the only sound was McIlroy’s feet padding around his birdie putt. He made it, clenched his fists and disappeared through a small tunnel with deafening chants of “Rory!” It sent Europe up one.
Like his tee shot on the par-4 fifth, which was on a mission to spear the sun. “Good God,” one of the U.S. vice captains muttered, not as quietly as he thought. Like the sixth time, when only his head was visible over the edge of the greenside bunker and he came out with a splash and almost holed it.
Fans shield their eyes as McIlroy drives on the first tee
(Getty Images)
There was an uneasy atmosphere everywhere and Cantlay was the main target. He played brilliantly, matching McIlroy shot for shot, and the European’s birdie on four was canceled out by cantlays on 11. Then, as Cantlay was 15 feet from the 14th hole, McIlroy hit a nice approach into him to 6 feet; Donald had raised his finger in celebration before the ball had finished falling from the sky. Cantlay’s putt whistled just over the edge of the cup and showed McIlroy the line, and he made birdie to put Europe in the lead again.
But Cantlay’s last three putts were sensational. He secured the 16th spot with another birdie, despite the crowd’s tremendous pounding on the fairway, tying the game. He held his nerve through another on the 17 to halve the hole and send them all straight offside at the end. And despite hurling his chip toward the back of the green, he hit his final putt from 40 feet to give Team USA a glimmer of hope ahead of Sunday’s singles.
Up front, the USA had dominated the first two games and Europe secured the third game through Rose and newcomer Bob MacIntyre, but Cantlay’s heroics ensured that the USA took three points from the session and gained some momentum. Europe leads with 10½ points, the USA with 5½ points and 12 points remaining.
At the end the sun sank behind the hills and cast long shadows on the green. The crowd became an unruly mob and the teams were at each other’s throats. It had been a long and surreal day and it was clearly time for everyone to go to bed. Tomorrow is a new day.