Controversial claims about Patrick Cantlay's Ryder Cup appearance emerge, sparking debate

A recent report has claimed that Patrick Cantlay said during the Ryder Cup that he would only wear a cap when he got paid, like the PGA of America official who was standing near him.

Last week, Cantlay not wearing the cap created a lot of buzz over the three days of the Ryder Cup. Rumors circulated that he was not wearing it as a sign of protest for not getting paid for participating in the biennial event.

However, his teammates dismissed the rumors, and the golfer stated that he didn't wear the cap because it didn't fit on his head.

For the uninitiated, players are not paid to compete in the Ryder Cup. Instead, they play for the pride of their country or region.

Now, a report published in The Fire Pit Collective has claimed that the World No. 5 golfer was indeed protesting for not being paid at the Ryder Cup. According to the website, on Friday, September 29, NBC's veteran reporter Steve Sands was present at the Marco Simone Golf Club.

Upon seeing Cantlay, Sands casually asked about the missing hat on the golfer's head. Cantlay responded by pointing to PGA of America public relations executive Julius Mason:

"I'll wear a hat when I’m paid to be here like he is."

Sands had asked Cantlay about his missing cap in the press conference on Saturday. The golfer's reply was that it didn't fit his head.

He said:

"I didn’t wear it at Whistling Straits [the 2021 Ryder Cup] because the hat just doesn’t fit. That’s really all it is."

The 31-year-old American was booed by the European crowd during the Saturday matches. When he made the brilliant winning putt in the four-ball match, all the members of the US team waved their caps back at the crowd to show solidarity with him.

US captain Zach Johnson had also denied the rumors of rifts in the US group, stating that this team had the closest bond he had ever witnessed in the Ryder Cup.

Johnson said, as per the Telegraph:

"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 rumor about Cantlay] is extremely inaccurate and arguably irresponsible."

Patrick Cantlay's performance in 2022–23 explored

Here's a look at Patrick Cantlay's performance in the 2022–23 PGA Tour season:

Shriners Children's Open: T2
Sentry Tournament of Champions: T16
The American Express: T26
WM Phoenix Open: CUT
The Genesis Invitational: 3
Arnold Palmer Invitational: T4
THE PLAYERS Championship: T19
World Golf Championships-Dell Technologies Match Play: T9
Masters Tournament: T14
RBC Heritage: 3
Zurich Classic of New Orleans: T4
Wells Fargo Championship: T21
PGA Championship: T9
the Memorial Tournament: T30
U.S. Open: T14
Travelers Championship: T4
Genesis Scottish Open: CUT
The Open Championship: T33
FedEx St. Jude Championship: P2
BMW Championship: T15
TOUR Championship **: 5