‘[Patrick Cantlay] Got Abused for 10 Hours’: Rory McIlroy Changes His Tune on Former Rival Weeks After Calling Him a ‘D**k’

“And now he’s caddying for that d*ck,” said an angry Rory McIlroy in an interview after what could possibly be called the most dramatic tournament this year. Who was he referring to while using that unsavory term? Unfortunately, it was directed at none other than Patrick Cantlay when the whole ‘cap-wave’ fiasco took place between his caddie, Joe LaCava, and the Northern Irishman during the Ryder Cup.

Well, a month after branding the American as such, it seems the 4X major champ has had a change of heart. What’s more, he even went ahead to dub Cantlay as “an amazing player” for whom he has “nothing but respect!”

Rory McIlroy goes soft on Patrick Cantlay

In an episode of the Stick to Football podcast, the 34-year-old recounted what happened with Tiger Woods’s ex-caddie after the 18th hole on the second day of the Ryder Cup. Continuing with his account, he revealed how he got “riled” up in the team room owing to Shane Lowry’s “motivational talk,” following which the events in the car park transpired.

However, ‘Rors’ was quick to point out how the 8X PGA Tour champ had handled the whole situation “really well.” Moreover, he had done so while scoring two birdies on the 16th and 17th, along with holing the putt on the 18th, despite the fact that he had “got abused for 10 hours on that golf course.” Despite all the setbacks, the 2X BMW Championship winner was able to give “a glimmer of hope” to the Zach Johnson-led squad. “An amazing player,” said the 2011 U.S. Open winner as he continued, “I have nothing but respect for Patrick Cantlay.”

What happened during the Ryder Cup, you ask? Well, the biennial event’s Saturday four-balls round saw the 24X PGA Tour champ and Matt Fitzpatrick lose out on their putts owing to LaCava’s antics. The American’s looper was seen waving his hat in the air along the putt line. This subsequently led to a heated altercation between the two, which resulted in Rory McIlroy calling out LaCava’s boss, Cantlay, as a “d*ck.”

However, this was not the only thing that the golfer went ahead to change his bearing on. Despite being dubbed a PGA Tour loyalist since the inception of LIV Golf in 2021, McIlroy went ahead to display a completely different persona during the podcast as he took to admit his “mistake.”

McIlroy’s current stance on LIV Golf

The Northern Irishman confessed how he was too judgmental of the LIV golfers in the beginning. Expressing regret over his actions and words, he even acknowledged the Saudi-backed league as a part of golf, all the while dubbing the competition between the alternate circuit and PGA Tour as unhealthy and “completely unsustainable” for the sport.

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Think that’s all he said? Well, guess again. The 34-year-old had earlier revealed how he would like to play with Jon Rahm in the upcoming Ryder Cup in Bethpage, despite his defection. Moreover, he even declared that the DP World Tour needs to change its rules to allow the Spaniard to participate.

While it is true that Rory McIlroy has said and done many things over the years, including the riff with Cantlay and others, the golfer has also admitted whenever he was wrong. This is indubitably the true mark of a sportsman.

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