GUIDONIA MONTECELIO, Italy – Patrick Cantlay inched the U.S. Ryder Cup team to within five points of the Europeans with a clutch birdie putt on the final hole Saturday at Marco Simone. He also fended off a report that he’s created an internal dispute within the team room by pushing for player compensation at the biennial matches.
First the birdie putt. Cantlay charged in his 43-footer for birdie at the last for a 1-up victory (alongside Wyndham Clark) over Rory McIlroy and Matt Fitzpatrick. The U.S. side had trailed the entire match but finished birdie-birdie to give the American team its first session victory.
“Felt big,” Cantlay said of the putt at No. 18. “Just trying to get any momentum we possibly can going into tomorrow.”
It was also an eventful day for Cantlay outside the ropes with fans derisively waving their hats in response to his decision to not wear a team hat this week. According to a SkySports report, he declined to wear the hat as protest for not being paid to participate in the Ryder Cup. The report also said he didn’t attend Wednesday’s welcome dinner out of protest.
“It’s not about that. It’s just about Team USA and representing our country,” Cantlay said when asked if he thought players should be paid to play the Ryder Cup. “That’s all I’ve got to say about that.”
He was also asked by a SkySports reporter why he isn’t wearing a hat. “The hat doesn’t fit. It didn’t fit at [the 2021 Ryder Cup] and didn’t fit this week. Everyone knows that,” he said.
U.S. captain Zach Johnson also disputed the report’s claim that Cantlay has create a divide.
“There is not a rift in this team room,” said Johnson, who added that Cantlay’s decision to miss the welcome dinner was an “excused absence.”
“This is one of the most united teams I have ever been associated with. When it comes to the dollar sign, I don’t mean to sound cliché, but the Ryder Cup is about more than any of that.”
