“There were three texts and two missed calls” - Rory Mcllroy says Tiger Woods reached out after Joe LaCava spat at Ryder Cup
The 2023 Ryder Cup saw sparks fly at the Marco Simone Golf and Country Club, as Rory McIlroy and Joe LaCava got into a bit of a heated argument. Patrick Cantlay's caddie, LaCava, found himself engaged in a furious spat with McIlroy that continued into the parking lot.
The argument soon reached a boiling point and McIlroy had to be whisked away by teammate Shane Lowry and wife Erica. Now, a few months later, Rory McIlroy has recalled the incident in an interview. He has even spoken about Tiger Woods' intervention in the unfortunate situation.
Speaking about his relationship with LaCava, Rory McIlroy said (via Bunkered):
“My relationship with Cantlay is average at best. We don’t have a ton in common and see the world quite differently."
The situation started heating up after the 16th hole, when McIlroy and Matt Fitzpatrick were playing against Cantlay and Wydham Clark. LaCava reportedly refused to get out of McIlroy's way when the latter was putting.
Things eventually erupted in the parking lot, where Rory McIlroy supposedly lost his patience. Once back at his hotel room, McIlroy checked his phone and saw that Tiger Woods had already reached out to him over the incident.
“There was also three texts and two missed calls from Tiger, because they’re obviously still close. I sent him a quick message: ‘It will be fine … long day … just want to go to bed,’” Mcllroy said.
Rory McIlroy and Joe LaCava called a truce after tension-filled 2023 Ryder Cup
McIlroy was visibly furious over the incident and despite several golfers and caddies trying to defuse the situation, he refused to back off.
"‘Joe LaCava used to be a nice guy when he was caddying for Tiger, and now he’s caddying for that d*ck he’s turned into a …’ I still wasn’t in a great headspace," he said.
However, since then, the caddie and the golfer seem to have made peace with each other. McIlroy lauded Joe LaCava for having a great career with Tiger Woods and said that everyone has moved on from the situation.
"My whole focus was let’s make sure Europe win the Ryder Cup and then we will sort all the other stuff out afterwards. And it’s all fine. We’re all friends now,” he said.