Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images
Cantlay played lights out to give Team USA a Ryder Cup session win, but he wouldn’t answer any questions about being paid to play.
Patrick Cantlay didn’t wear a hat on Saturday, which caused quite a lot of drama among both Ryder Cup teams.
It took over most of the days’ discussion after a SkySports reporter suggested he was taking a stand about not getting paid to play in the Ryder Cup. That rumor circulated to the masses, and it caused European fans in attendance to wave their caps all day.
The ‘hat-gate’ caused some drama on the 18th green after Cantlay secured the third victory of the Day 2 four-ball session. His caddie Joe LaCava and the rest of Team USA waved their caps to the crowd, who taunted the eight-time PGA Tour winner all day with their own hats.
However, after his round Cantlay refused to answer any questions pertaining to the pay-to-play rumors.
“It’s not about that. It’s just about Team USA and representing our country,” Cantlay said.
They followed up with: “Do you believe they should be paid, and can you answer that question?”
“That’s all I’ve got to say about that,” he said.
Despite that being one of the biggest storylines of the Ryder Cup, Cantlay refused to touch that subject. It’s certainly not a great look. He did however answer questions about the lack of a hat.
“The hat doesn’t fit. It didn’t fit at Whistling Straits, and didn’t fit this week,” Cantlay said.
A different reporter wanted to know if it was in protest, and Cantlay quickly shut that down even though that rumor already ran rampant.
“Not at all. This is the first I heard of it right when I got off the green,” Cantlay said. “That’s the furthest thing from the truth.”
He isn’t the only player to not wear a hat this week, as Sam Burns didn’t wear one in one of his rounds.
“I didn’t know it was such a big deal not to wear a hat,” Burns said.
The two-time BMW Championship winner came in clutch for the Americans as he and Wyndham Clark erased a deficit against Rory McIlroy and Matt Fitzpatrick. Cantlay’s clutch shots on the 16th, 17th and 18th holes were crucial.
He also noted the energy that came with ‘hat-gate’ helped fueled them.
“I’ve never had so many standing ovations going to tee boxes and greens,” Cantlay said. “I thought it was fantastic. You know, I told Wyndham when we were going to the first tee today that we were going to use all the energy out there as fuel, and we did.”
Cantlay faced a pressure-packed par putt on 16 to halve the hole and hit it center cut.
On 17, the fifth-ranked player in the world hit a sick approach shot to 10 feet. He then drained that birdie putt to square the match. Yet, he found a way to top himself.
Finally on 18, Cantlay unbelievably sank a 43-foot birdie to win the match 1-up. It was a point that the Americans desperately needed.
Team USA trails 10.5 to 5.5 after two days of play. The Americans will have to win nine of the 12 singles matches on Sunday to retain the Cup, while the Europeans need just four points to secure another Cup on home soil.
Savannah Leigh Richardson is a golf staff writer for SB Nation’s Playing Through. You can follow her on Twitter @SportsGirlSL and Instagram @savannah_leigh_sports for more golf coverage. Be sure to check out @_PlayingThrough too.
