Rory McIlroy has a Choice Word to Describe Patrick Cantlay

Last month, Rory McIlroy said he quickly put a Ryder Cup dust-up with caddie Joe LaCava behind him. 

But it doesn’t sound like it’s the same situation for the 2022 FedEx Cup champion and Patrick Cantlay, the 2021 FedEx Cup winner. 

In an interview with the Irish Independent, McIlroy said that he became annoyed with LaCava for waving his hat in an exaggerated manner after Cantlay hit a shot that gave his team the lead in a foursomes match. 

It led to a heated exchange in the parking lot after the second day of competition. 

💥 Wow! It’s all kicking off in the car park with Rory Mcilroy and Bones Mackay

Shane Lowry of all people dragging Rory away, still fuming about Joe LaCava being a complete clown#RyderCup pic.twitter.com/OJ3Oz0IkKC

— Paul Higham (@SportsPaulH) September 30, 2023

“Joe LaCava used to be a nice guy when he was caddying for Tiger [Woods], and now he’s caddying for that dick [Cantlay], he’s turned into a … I still wasn’t in a great headspace,” McIlroy said.

“My relationship with Cantlay is average at best. We don’t have a ton in common and see the world quite differently.”

McIlroy said that Woods reached out to him that day over the incident. The Northern Irishman said he would take care of it, calling it “not his finest moment.”

🚨Rory McIlroy says he regrets his outburst directed at Jim ‘Bones’ Mackay at the Ryder Cup: “He’s coming over to try and diffuse the situation. But he’s wearing an American top, and I know he’s friends with Joe, and I just tripped. Complete rage. I felt bad about it afterwards… pic.twitter.com/Ng8JIYKyKS

— NUCLR GOLF (@NUCLRGOLF) November 12, 2023

But while it seems like things are smoothed over with LaCava and fellow caddie Jim “Bones” Mackay, who was also in the parking lot that day, it doesn’t appear that Cantlay and McIlroy will be exchanging Christmas cards this year. And it will certainly be fuel for the fire when the two meet in a TGL match next year. 

Cover Image via X