Patrick Cantlay’s Slow Play Garnered a Variety of Reactions…None of Them Positive

Patrick Cantlay is one of the most intentional players in professional golf, and it has always been that way. This past weekend’s TOUR Championship proved that to be true, and fans were about tired of waiting for him to play.

Cantlay is not a guy that is a fan favorite, let’s just be real. He’s not one to give interviews, interact with fans, or really show any sort of emotion or personality when he’s playing. He’s very dry, and for that reason, he’s already a target for many fans.

However, Sunday’s final round of the TOUR Championship may have been his toughest performance to watch yet. His stoic demeanor on the course undoubtedly is an advantage, but along with that comes a very slow pace of play. It is something that has become his trademark in some ways.

He was put in the spotlight on the NBC Broadcast due to his presence in the final pairing with Tommy Fleetwood, a fan favorite who was seeking his first PGA TOUR win in 164 tries. As far as the players were concerned, you couldn’t be at two more opposite sides of the spectrum.

Social media posts surely let Cantlay have it, as his time on the tee box, during approach shots, and even putts was longer than anyone out there:

Okay @patrick_cantlay speed it up. Brutally slow. Sorry, not sorry. #PGA pic.twitter.com/WJVFSbxhyd

— Grok Memes (@tacomancheng) August 24, 2025

I mean, you just can’t be having this. Cantlay is completely unwatchablepic.twitter.com/2QeYJrjwh6

— Kendall Baker (@kendallbaker) August 25, 2025

Tommy Fleetwood waiting on every damn shot from Cantlay pic.twitter.com/8uH2CGTjGu

— John T 🦬 (@_Mr_JT_) August 24, 2025

Dear @NBC

Can we please not cut to Patrick Cantlay 45 seconds before he hits.

Put this man on tape delay!!!

Sincerely,

Literally everyone

— Joe I (@TourPicks) August 24, 2025

Patrick Cantlay’s pace is an absolute joke.

— Michael McEwan (@MMcEwanGolf) August 24, 2025

Golfers after playing with Cantlay: pic.twitter.com/v68iWncOAK

— Tour Golf (@PGATUOR) August 24, 2025

Fleetwood playing at a very nice pace. Cantlay is the slowest. Took him 90 seconds to drop a ball on #8. Then walked all the way to the green and back. Time warnings should be on the individual, not the group.

— Ron Lee (@ronlee1975) August 24, 2025

Cantlay’s pre- and post-round activities were also a matter of contention for fans. He walked by a group of kids looking for a high-five without even acknowledging them, something that is completely ordinary, but you do see many players give the kids some skin as a good gesture.

Additionally, after Fleetwood entered the scorer’s room, Cantlay had zero reaction to it. He sat there facing forward without a smile on his face, not congratulating Tommy for his win. He also didn’t acknowledge Fleetwood in a social media post, which drew basically all negative reactions.

Not the finish we wanted today but happy with how hard I fought to get back into contention. Thank you to all the fans who followed along this season. I can’t wait to get back out there! pic.twitter.com/4RrwqTSrkG

— Patrick Cantlay (@patrick_cantlay) August 25, 2025

Fans are typically pretty critical of players who leave the PGA TOUR for LIV Golf, but I’ve seen a handful of people say they’d rather have him go to LIV so they don’t have to deal with his pace of play or dry personality any longer. 

Patrick Cantlay is a great golfer with perhaps a bit of PR training in his future.

Cover Image via Golf Digest