Patrick Cantlay is said to be unhappy about not being paid to play in the Ryder Cup.
The raging controversy over unpaid players at the Ryder Cup has yet to subside, with new reports revealing an unprecedented exchange allegedly involving American golfer Patrick Cantlay. The 31-year-old became the focus of a media storm during the tournament as Europe beat the United States to win the title for the first time since 2018.
It is thought that Cantlay refused to wear an American cap because he was unhappy that he was not paid to participate. His stance would cause a rift between him and his teammates. As a result, he was ridiculed by European fans, but later explained that he did not wear a cap because he could not find one that suited him. However, golf website The Fire Pit Collective reported that Cantlay told an American television reporter that he would wear a cap when “being paid to be here, like he is”, in when signaling at the direction of a PGA officer. The exchange is believed to have taken place during Ryder Cup weekend in Rome, but has so far gone unreported.
Cantlay was quick to insist there was “not an iota of truth” to claims he wanted to be paid to take part, while US captain Ben Johnson also insisted the rumors were unfounded. Meanwhile, Cantlay’s representative continues to call claims that he does not wear a baseball cap for this reason “fiction” and “completely false”.
Players have never been paid to compete in the Ryder Cup, instead the PGA of America donates large sums to charitable causes. This year, the organization is said to have donated £163,000 per player to the charity of the player’s choice. Captains of both teams insisted over the Ryder Cup weekend that players should not be paid to participate, while European captain Luke Donald said:
“Absolutely not, the Ryder Cup is a real sport. It’s about representing your country. It’s about coming together as a team.
“It’s the purest form of competition we have and I think because of that the fans love it. There’s no extrinsic motivation involved. It’s purely, purely sport.”
Donald’s view on the topic was echoed by Johnson, who added: “When it comes to the dollar sign, I don’t mean to sound cliched, but the Ryder Cup is about more than any of that. It’s about standing with a band of guys to represent your nation, to represent more than you in the game of golf.
“It’s a sport for one week. I would say if there’s anything that deals with money, there are guys that would pay to play in this. So I think that [the alleged Cantlay cap row] is extremely inaccurate and arguably irresponsible.”
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