The fans in Italy trolled Patrick Cantlay so hard over a report saying the American golfer was refusing to wear a hat in protest.
Sky Sports’ Jamie Weir reported on Saturday that Cantlay is upset over the lack of pay to golfers for participating in the Ryder Cup. Weir alleged that the golfer was not wearing a hat during competition as a show of protest.
https://twitter.com/jamiecweir/status/1708040617190670588
Weir also alleged that Cantlay refused to attend a dinner event and has been sitting in a separate part of the locker room.
https://twitter.com/jamiecweir/status/1708040638141280653
The fans who attended Saturday’s events at Marco Simone Golf Club in Guidonia Montecelio were well aware of Weir’s report. They started waving their hats at Cantlay like mad. They also chanted, “hats off to your bank account” at the American player.
“Hats off for your bank account” is the chant to Patrick Cantlay on the 16th. What a scene. #RyderCup pic.twitter.com/TzeSPXdSAu
— Stuart Fraser (@stu_fraser) September 30, 2023
All the actions from the fans fired up Cantlay, who finished his afternoon match on Saturday with three straight birdies to help him and Wyndham Clark beat Rory McIlroy and Matt Fitzpatrick 1 up.
Cantlay pretended to tip a cap to the fans in response.
Patrick Cantlay pretending to tip his hat to the crowd is an instant classic. pic.twitter.com/GuNd9m01vC
— Alex Myers (@AlexMyers3) September 30, 2023
His teammates also took off their hats to the crowd after Cantlay and Clark won their match.
🚨Team USA waives their caps to mock European fans after Patrick Cantlay drained at 18 👀 pic.twitter.com/q8aoWPpFGq
— NUCLR GOLF (@NUCLRGOLF) September 30, 2023
Cantlay did address the report following his round.
Cantlay was interviewed by NBC on Saturday and said he wasn’t wearing a hat because “it just doesn’t fit.”
Patrick Cantlay settles "Hat Gate" once and for all.
(via NBC) pic.twitter.com/2qBUcySIWB— Golf on CBS ⛳ (@GolfonCBS) September 30, 2023
Barstool Sports’ Dan Rapaport added a more in-depth response to each of Weir’s allegations.
“Regarding Cantlay—source close to him says reports of any sort of “fracture” are unfounded. U.S. team are united. Getting butt kicked, but united. Cantlay and Schauffele are in same locker room as everyone else. He also didn’t wear hat at Whistling Straits. Took pictures at Gala but didn’t attend dinner portion to rest. As far as money, everyone golfer wants to be paid more. ‘But if he was unhappy he wouldn’t be here,'” Rapaport wrote on X.
Regarding Cantlay—source close to him says reports of any sort of “fracture” are unfounded. U.S. team are united. Getting butt kicked, but united. Cantlay and Schauffele are in same locker room as everyone else. He also didn’t wear hat at Whistling Straits. Took pictures at Gala…
— Dan Rapaport (@Daniel_Rapaport) September 30, 2023
Brandel Chamblee pointed out that the participants of the Ryder Cup benefit because a cut of the revenue goes to the PGA Tour, and each player gets $200,000 to a charity of their choice.
20% of TV revenue from the event goes to the PGA tour, which they put in the pension… so tour players do in fact benefit financially from the Ryder Cup. Cantlay should know that, as well as the 200,000$ every player receives for the charity of their choice, not to mention the… https://t.co/Oe7BwRpCM5
— Brandel Chamblee (@chambleebrandel) September 30, 2023
The saga of Cantlay’s hat has become the dominant storyline for this year’s Ryder Cup competition. Who saw that coming?
