Team USA deliver pointed response to claims of massive split in Ryder Cup camp

01 October 2023 , 12:54

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Patrick Cantlay and Team USA captain Zach Johnson (Image: Ross Kinnaird/Getty Images)

Team USA appear to have hit back at claims of a major rift within the camp, with half of their players wearing caps on the final day and the other half not.

Team Europe are on the brink of winning the Ryder Cup, having dominated the event from day one. And it has been claimed that the American camp is 'fractured', with Patrick Cantlay upset that players are not getting paid to play in the Ryder Cup.

According to Sky Sports, Cantlay refused to wear a team cap on Saturday to express his 'frustration', is sitting in a separate area of the dressing room with close friend Xander Schauffele and 'refused to attend' the welcome dinner at the start of the week. A Team USA spokesperson, however, has told Mirror Sport claims of a fallout are "not true".

Cantlay, meanwhile, claimed the reason he was not wearing a team cap was simply because it did not fit. He said: "This is the first I heard of it right when I got off the green. That's the furthest thing from the truth.

"It's not about that [being paid]. It's just about Team USA and representing our country. The hat doesn't fit. It didn't fit at Whistling Straits [in 2021], and didn't fit this week. Everyone knows that.

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"I was going to go no hat all week regardless, so I figured would I keep it consistent." Team captain Zach Johnson also denied the claims of a split, insisting Cantlay is "beyond committed" to the team.

"This is the closest knit team I've ever been associated with," Johnson said. "This team is different, it's special. Patrick is one of those 12. He is beyond committed. If anything, I would like to emphasise that he has been an awesome leader inside our clubhouse.

There have been claims of a rift within the US camp, with Cantlay denying claims he was not wearing a team hat to protest the fact players are not getting paid (Getty Images)

"There is not a rift in this team room. This is one of the most united teams I have ever been associated with. When it comes to the dollar sign, I don't mean to sound cliché, but the Ryder Cup is about more than any of that."

And in an apparent response to the claims of a divide, half of the American team wore hats while the other half did not on the final day of the even. "I don't think he likes the fit of the hats," Johnson added of Cantlay's initial decision not to wear one.

"I know that. That's what the facts are. And another fact, some of the stalwarts and legends of the European game that I admire and, frankly, have modelled a lot of my game after never wore hats in the Ryder Cup." Johnson also said Cantlay missing the welcome dinner was an "excused absence".

Matthew Cooper