Patrick Cantlay shows support to children’s foundation following ‘hat gate’ protest rumors
For multiple reasons, Patrick Cantlay has been seen without a hat on the golf course for some time now. It began when he didn't wear a hat during the Ryder Cup for unknown reasons.
Many speculated it was a form of protest, but that was never confirmed and several people, including Cantlay, said otherwise. Cantlay was also without a sponsor, but that has changed and he will finally get to wear a hat once more.
First Responder's Children's Foundation has filled the gap in Cantlay's hat void and he has officially donned their logo according to a report from the AP:
“Cantlay has a new partnership to raise awareness and money to support first responder families across the country."
He recently parted ways with long-time sponsor Goldman Sachs, one of the reasons why he could no longer wear a hat with their logo. That, combined with the Ryder Cup incident, left him without a hat for a while, but that's been remedied with his new sponsor.
Cantlay was completely without a sponsor till the recently announced partnership. Some golfers go with the brand they support, like Tiger Woods and his all-Nike outfits on the course. Others, like Cantlay, use the logo of their sponsor, but until now, the world number five golfer didn't have one.
Patrick Cantlay's hat issues are finally resolved
Patrick Cantlay's hat has been the subject of much discussion since he appeared at the Ryder Cup without one. That prompted the rumors and reports that it was a form of protest.
An initial report from Jamie Weir said via the New York Post:
“Understand from several sources that the US team room is fractured, a split led predominantly by Patrick Cantlay. Cantlay believes players should be paid to participate in the Ryder Cup, and is demonstrating his frustration at not being paid by refusing to wear a team cap.”
This was denounced by Zach Johnson, the team captain. Cantlay's refusal to wear a hat was, according to him, not an issue. Cantlay also denied the report. He slammed the reporting by saying:
“Dealing with some weird, completely false media stories from one person. It’s totally false. It couldn’t be farther from the truth. Outright lies.”
Team USA lost pretty resoundingly at Marco Simone, but a hat or lack thereof seemed to be the least of their issues. Furthermore, Tiger Woods even spoke on it and said the lack of payment wasn't an issue, so it might be a completely overblown talking point.
Ultimately, there are some out there who believe the Ryder Cup should be a paid experience since they're playing at a professional level. Golfers are currently not paid to participate in the event, but it doesn't appear as if the alleged hat protest was even a protest or that it mattered all that much to those in power. Now that he has a sponsor, Cantlay will not be hatless but it remains to be seen how that will play at the next Ryder Cup.