01 October 2023 , 09:38
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Rory McIlroy was at the centre of the action on and off the course on Saturday at the Ryder Cup after a spat with Patrick Cantlay's caddie spilt over from the 18th green into the car park.
Cantlay was the subject of reports on Saturday that he has contributed to a "fractured" Team USA locker room at Marco Simone Golf & Country Club over alleged frustrations that he is frustrated players are not paid for taking part in the Ryder Cup. Sky Sports claimed Cantlay was not wearing a Team USA hat in protest.
Cantlay was targeted by the crowd in Rome as a result, so when he holed three straight clutch putts on 16, 17 and 18 in Saturday's final fourballs game to deliver a precious point for the Americans as they try to claw back a huge deficit, he and his teammates did not hold back in their celebrations.
Captain Zach Johnson's players were watching from beside the green and all raised their hats in unison after Cantlay found the bottom of the cup.
Cantlay's caddie Joe LaCava got involved too, but with McIlroy still having a putt to try to tie the match, the Ulsterman was angered by Tiger Woods' former bagman's actions.
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LaCava was stood near to McIlroy celebrating while the four-time major champion was lining up his putt, and when asked to move, the caddie snapped back.
When McIlroy and teammate Matt Fitzpatrick saw their birdie putts slide past the hole, the spat continued, with European teammate Shane Lowry escorting McIlroy away from the area. But the argument later resumed in the car park, with the world number two caught on camera angrily pointing in LaCava's direction.
Things soured between Rory McIlroy and Joe LaCava on the 18th green. (Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images)After a one-sided first three sessions with Europe dominating, there is no shortage of spice heading into the Sunday singles as Luke Donald's team vie to regain the trophy. Leading 10.5-.5.5, they are commanding favourites to reach the magic number of 14.5 points, but Cantlay's late heroics on Saturday have given the Americans a glimmer of hope.
Donald will be banking on star man McIlroy to deliver a point on Sunday, and he has decided to send him out fourth in the order. He will play rookie Sam Burns at 11.11am. Here are the tee times in full...
- Jon Rahm vs Scottie Scheffler - 10.35am
- Viktor Hovland vs Collin Morikawa - 10.47am
- Justin Rose vs Patrick Cantlay - 10.59am
- Rory McIlroy vs Sam Burns - 11.11am
- Matt Fitzpatrick vs Max Homa - 11.23am
- Tyrrell Hatton vs Brian Harman - 11.35am
- Ludvig Aberg vs Brooks Koepka - 11.47am
- Sepp Straka vs Justin Thomas - 11.59am
- Nicolai Hojgaard vs Xander Schauffele - 12.11pm
- Shane Lowry vs Justin Spieth - 12.23pm
- Tommy Fleetwood vs Rickie Fowler - 1.35pm
- Robert MacIntyre vs Wyndham Clark - 12.47pm
Donald said he would discuss the incident with McIlroy before play. He told reporters at his press conference: "I was there on 18. I saw it unfold when Patrick made that putt, Joe was waving his hat. (McIlroy) politely asked Joe to move aside. He was in his line of vision. He stood there and didn’t move for a while and continued to wave the hat, so I think Rory was upset about that.
"It was a little off-putting because he still had to putt. And so Rory got upset, and I understand that. Rory felt like the line was crossed on the 18th green."