‘Just Trying To Focus’: Patrick Cantlay Shuts Down All the Criticism About ‘Slow Play’ With His Honest Remarks

The 2022–23 season has been nothing short of turbulent for Patrick Cantlay. He was accused of slowplay during the 2023 Masters, and to top it all, he found himself caught again in the middle of staging an alleged coup d’état with his American Ryder Cup teammates. The golfer kept quiet about everything, but as the year came to an end, so did his silence.

Not only controversies, but a few good things, such as his dreamy Rome wedding and being appointed as a PGAT PAC member, were also there. Cantlay did a special interview with Dylan Dethier and responded to each of the accusations made against him while having scrambled eggs, avocado, and toast.

Did Patrick Cantlay play at a slow pace to elevate his focus level?

After a year of rumors surrounding Patrick Cantlay, he finally broke his silence on many of them. Recently, World No. 5 sat with Golf.com for a breakfast interview and talked about his no-hat controversy at the Ryder Cup, rumors about his departure to LIV Golf, and the most debated issue among the fans, that is, slow pace.

In the 2023 Masters, golf fans criticized the 8x PGA Tour winner for his slow pace and wondered if he should have been penalized for it. Now, after eight months, Cantlay has cleared the air around it. Speaking about his pace, he said, “I’m out there just trying to focus,” to leverage the one chance he gets to become the best golfer and execute the perfect shot.

The 31-year-old golfer explained that “competing” has been his all-time favorite thing since he was a child. So he wanted the people to know that if they do notice him being “stoic” and taking a lengthy time to hit a ball, he is only attempting to focus as best as he can and hit better.

Additionally, he agreed with the interviewer’s theory that possibly the camera panned toward him earlier than others and captured him waiting. To which Cantlay replied that it might have been the case, but he can’t be sure of it as he rarely watches himself on TV. However, those who were watching him on TV and, by the course, did say that the play was “brutally slow.”

The 2023 PGA Championship winner criticizes Cantlay

In April, fans and players alike were a bit annoyed by the slow pace of Patrick Cantlay and his group at the 2023 Masters. The fans took to X to vocalize their issues, whereas the player from the waiting group criticized him in the post-match conference.

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At the post-match interview, the 5x major champion, Brooks Koepka, responded to the question about the slow pace he had to endure. He said, “The group in front of us was brutally slow.” To give context and to what extent the delay was, he revealed that Jon Rahm visited the bathroom seven times, and they were still waiting for their turn.

Even though world no. 5 says playing slow is the way he focuses better on his game and hits perfect shots, sometimes it has become a hassle for other golfers and for fans who are more suited to a faster-paced game. What do you think? Is Patrick Cantlay actually that slow?

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