Was Joe LaCava’s Hat Waving Justified? Diving Into His Bizarre Spat With Rory McIlroy That Sent Ripples Through the Golf World

The Ryder Cup is one of the most prestigious golf tournaments other than the four majors: the Masters, PGA Championship, US Open, and Open Championship. What makes the Ryder Cup one of the most prestigious and glorious tournaments is its enriching history and its one-of-a-kind format. Every two years, 12 golfers from Europe and 12 men from America make their way to either of the countries to compete for three gruesome days. The scale of the tournament is so huge that everyone associated with the golf world eagerly waits for the competition.

With such a high stance on the event comes controversies as well. One of the most significant ones that made its way to Marco Simone this year is that Patrick Cantlay caused a riff in the American dresser room and also that he decided not to wear a hat in protest of not being paid. The ‘No Hat Cantlay’ controversy took a staggering turn on the tournament’s second day on the 18th hole, when Tiger Woods’ former caddie, Joe LaCava, and Rory McIlroy got in a ruff with each other. Though things heated up because of LaCava, was it truly justified?

What went down on the 18th hole between Rory McIlroy and Joe LaCava? 

This 44th edition of the tournament started on quite a high note for Europe as they clean-swiped the American team in Friday foursomes. At the end of the first day, the European squad had put 6.5 on the leaderboard, whereas the American team only had 1.5 points to their name. Saturday was indeed a crucial day for both teams, more so for America, and the pressure was building. Amidst the pressure, reports on the internet surfaced stating that Patrick Cantlay has created a riff in the American dressing room for not being paid to compete in the tournament and is not wearing the hat in the protest against the same. As a result, all day on Saturday, fans at Marco Simone kept waving their hats at Hatless Cantlay.

At such a grand stage, every point counts. When a team can appreciate every single moment as much as America did on the tournament’s second day, celebrations are meant to be loud for every point earned. On the 18th hole on Saturday, Patrick Cantlay, along with Wyndham Clark, defeated Rory McIlroy and Matt Fitzpatrick for the last four-ball match. Cantlay put the final three holes together to flip the final match, and honestly, flip the scoreboard and hopes amongst the American fans too! After his birdie putt on the 18th, Cantlay’s caddie, Joe LaCava, and US teammates, along with other American caddies, took off their hats to celebrate.

Amidst the celebrations, Woods’ former bagman lingered on one spot for a few more seconds than he should have, and he came into McIlroy’s line of sight as he tried to size up a tying putt from 24 feet. When the world’s number 2 golfer and his caddie, Harry Diamond, asked LaCava to move, he moved back but took a few steps towards McIlroy and sent a wave towards him, gesturing his dismissal. Upon reaching the edge of the greens, European compatriots Shane Lowry and Justin Rose confronted Cantlay’s bagman, and in his response, he said that he just wanted to celebrate since there hasn’t been much to celebrate in the last 48 hours.

The Irish golfer missed the putt, and so did Fitzpatrick. After the match wound up, players and caddies were shaking hands, but not Joe LaCava and Rory McIlroy, as the two were engrossed in a controlled yet heated conversation. The bad blood between the two had already been there towards the end, and it seemed so from the parking lot video that emerged later.

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The Irish golfer was seen engaging in a heated conversation with Justin Thomas’ caddie, Jim Bones Mackay. Lowry took McIlroy away from the conversation and seated him in the European courtesy car. Many people got a good look at what happened on and off the course, and one of those people was European skipper Luke Donald. Donald, later on, gave his perspective of what happened on the green and gave a glimpse of his conversation with the Northern Irishman. Whatever went down on the 18th hole definitely ignited the fire amongst the crowds and golf fans. But the question still remains: was it all justified—LaCava’s hat waving and McIlroy’s outburst?

Is the feud between LaCava and McIlroy justified? 

Golf is a sport that teaches composure, calmness, and patience. Burstouts on the field are never really appreciated, but in pressured moments like Saturday’s, some slipups are bound to happen. Waving hats to celebrate Cantlay’s birdie putt was not an offensive move, but LaCava standing in McIlroy’s line of sight was a move less appreciated. There is no proof as to whether it was an honest mistake or something was done intentionally, but it did hamper Irishaman’s composure.

The wave of dismissal directed at the world’s number 2 golfer was not justified and was an utter sign of disrespect. Something like this is not expected from someone as experienced as LaCava, and the golfer’s outburst in the parking lot was fully justified.

Tune in to find out how things unravel at the 44th edition of the Ryder Cup and which team finally lifts the trophy!

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