Ryder Cup golf 2023: Rory McIlroy in heated confrontation with USA caddies after a better day for America
An on-course argument with a Team USA caddie has boiled over into a Rory McIlroy shouting match on a dramatic day at the Ryder Cup.
A dramatic day at the Ryder Cup on Saturday erupted into a series of altercations involving European players, including superstar Rory McIlroy, and a pair of American caddies.
Saturday began with Europe extending its big lead, punctuated by world No. 1 Scottie Scheffler of the U.S. appearing to wipe away tears after suffering a historic beatdown along with teammate Brooks Koepka. American hopes later perked up when Patrick Cantlay sank a long putt to beat McIlroy on the 18th hole in the afternoon.
But what happened afterward pumped up the already hot emotions in an event where the Europeans now hold a sizable lead entering the final day.
After Cantlay nailed his game-changing putt, his caddie, Joe LaCava, celebrated on the green, potentially in the way of McIlroy who had yet to putt. With LaCava waving his hat in joy, McIlroy gestured, seemingly asking him to move and the two got into it. That led to shouts between LaCava and Irishman Shane Lowry on the course.
Following the match, anger spilled over into the parking lot where McIlroy pointed and got in the face of Jim “Bones” Mackay, the caddie for Justin Thomas. Video showed that McIlroy was restrained by Lowry before Lowry and Mackay exchanged words. It’s unclear if McIlroy’s anger was directed at Mackay or if LaCava was nearby.
A furious Rory McIlroy confronted a Team USA caddie in the car park, after he was spotted waving his cap in McIlroy's face when lining up his final putt on 18 😳pic.twitter.com/Ha4r5hDsGi
— Sky Sports News (@SkySportsNews) September 30, 2023
European captain Luke Donald confirmed the incidents, saying the angst stemmed from LaCava’s celebration.
“[McIlroy] politely asked Joe to move aside,” Donald said about what happened on the green. “He was in his line of vision. He stood there and didn’t move for a while and continued to wave the hat, so I think Rory was upset about that.”
Things are getting heated at the #RyderCup between Patrick Cantlay’s caddie and Rory McIlroy 👀
— Covers (@Covers) September 30, 2023
pic.twitter.com/dNMeRixIqH
The events added newfound juice to an event the Europeans are dominating. Despite Cantlay’s 43-putt for victory on the final hole of the last match on Saturday, the Americans are still down at Marco Simone Golf Club 10.5 to 5.5. With the Europeans just four points from reclaiming the trophy, the U.S. would need to stage the biggest comeback in the event’s history on Sunday to win. The U.S. came back from down four points in 1999, while Europe matched the feat in 2012.
The U.S. lost three of the four early matches, highlighted by Scheffler and Koepka suffering a defeat for the ages. The pair lost to Norwegian Viktor Hovland and Swede Ludvig Aberg by nine holes with seven to play—the biggest margin ever at the Ryder Cup. The Scandinavian duo needed just 11 holes to prevail, having won all but two of them.Following the defeat, television cameras showed Scheffler rubbing his face with his hands and seemingly wiping away a tear. Last year, after Scheffler won the Masters, he said he “cried like a baby” before the final round because of the stress. U.S. captain Zach Johnson opted to leave Scheffler and Koepka on the bench for the afternoon session.
Cantlay’s putt, which capped off going from down one to winning over the final two holes, was finally a bit of positive momentum for the Americans after Europe went unbeaten on a disastrous Friday that saw the them lose all of the opening foursomes and cough up three late leads that turned into draws in four-ball play. Cantlay’s win gave the Americans victories in three of four afternoon matches.
For his part, Cantlay said he was too busy letting his own emotions out to know what happened between his caddie and McIlroy.
“I didn’t get a good look at it,” he said.
Before the late sparks, the mood for the Europeans had been joyous as they enjoyed a commanding lead. Spanish star Jon Rahm sat out the afternoon round on Saturday and helped pump up the crowd on the first tee box. The tens of thousands of fans, meanwhile, reveled in the home team’s success by knocking off a soccer cheer that accurately reflected the scoreline: “Europe’s on fire, USA is terrified!”
While major champions like Scheffler, Koepka, Thomas and Jordan Spieth struggled to win for the U.S., the players who came through were some of the biggest question marks going into the tournament. Brian Harman and Max Homa had never previously played in the Ryder Cup, and won twice together on Saturday. Sam Burns is another rookie, and he came out hot to take his Saturday four-ball game alongside Collin Morikawa over Hovland and Aberg.
Then Cantlay delivered a much-needed boost for the U.S. when he birdied the final three holes on Saturday. Playing alongside U.S. Open champion Wyndham Clark, Cantlay’s birdie on the 17th evened up their match against McIlroy and Englishman Matthew Fitzpatrick. Then after bungling a chip on the 18th, Cantlay sunk the long putt that sent his teammates, watching him from around the green, into a frenzy. Some, including LaCava, doffed their caps, in a nod to Cantlay opting to not wear a hat.
But Cantlay’s putt was overshadowed not long after it hit the bottom of the cup. American captain Zach Johnson said he spoke with LaCava afterward and that the caddie said he had spoken to McIlroy and that the situation was “all good.” Johnson said he was aware of a parking lot incident but not the details.
“I’m aware of something happening,” Johnson said. “I don’t know what transpired specifically.”
Whether Cantlay’s putt and the ensuing brouhahas spark the Americans during Sunday’s 12 singles matches remains to be seen. What’s clear is they have an unprecedented hill to climb.
Eleven years ago, when Europe stormed back, it became known as the Miracle at Medinah. If the Americans pull off something even more improbable on Sunday, they can claim their very own Marco Simone Miracolo.
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