On this week’s episode of Subpar, hosts Colt Knost and Drew Stoltz talked about the 2023 Ryder Cup, which Europe won by a lopsided score, 16.5-11.5.
Both Knost and Stoltz were at the Marco Simone in Rome, giving them front row seats to all the action. After this eventful week, Knost and Stoltz sat down to discuss all the drama that occurred, especially the tense exchange between Rory McIlroy and Joe LaCava on Saturday night on the 18th Blue.
In case you forgot the details of what happened, here’s a quick summary:
Rory McIlroy and Matt Fitzpatrick’s four-ball match against Patrick Cantlay and Wyndham Clark took place on hole 18 on Saturday night. Fitzpatrick and McIlroy appeared on the green with mid-length birdie patterns. But when Cantlay made an incredible 43-foot putt for birdie, Cantlay’s caddy, Joe LaCava, celebrated for too long within McIlroy’s view, surprising not only the four-time major champion but also members of the team. Other members of the European team are surrounded by discomfort. 18th green – especially Shane Lowry, who let LaCava know. Words were exchanged, and in the end McIlroy and Fitzpatrick missed their birdie putts, losing the hole and the match, and giving the United States a well-deserved full point.
McIlroy was still upset after the incident, when cameras caught him berating American cadet Jim “Bones” Mackay in the parking lot.
After observing the 18th green incident from many angles, Stoltz gave his assessment of the situation.
“That was a moment that maybe Joe LaCava would like to get back,” Stoltz said. “You can’t find anyone who isn’t enamored with Joe LaCava and thinks he’s the classiest guy in the world. You look at the people he recruits:
DJ [Dustin Johnson], Freddie [Fred Couple], a little guy named Tiger [Tiger Woods]. He’s involved in the biggest storylines with the most pressure. There’s nothing he hasn’t seen on the golf course. I think the fans were too harsh on Cantlay that day so he had had enough.
“He was swept away.”
Knost agreed, but said it was difficult to know how much blame each person should blame. “Only two people know exactly what was said on that 18th green,” Knost said.
For more from Knost and Stoltz on McIlroy, watch the video above. And for more Ryder Cup news and analysis from the Subpar duo, watch the full episode below.
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