Loved by fans and not have a nickname? At least that’s not how it goes down in the golf world. From the animal kingdom to McDonald’s, golf fans can easily come up with one for their favorites, like ‘Golden Bear’ for Jack Nicklaus, ‘Lefty’ for Phil Mickelson, or ‘Wee-Mac’ for Rory McIlroy. Every golfer has one nickname, which is used by all to cheer them on.
Well, it seems that Patrick Cantlay has been adorned with the same liberty more than once. From having the most common nickname to being associated with a TV character, the eight-time PGA Tour winner earned a new moniker. So what’s Cantlay called on the greens and more importantly, does he like the nickname?
Patrick Cantlay likes his nickname
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It is not news that Patrick Cantlay is usually calm on the golf course. Whether he made a winning putt or lost in the playoffs, one may never see him react to any of the results. Now, couple that with a Cantlay who likes to joke around with his friends and exactly portrays Sheldon from Big Bang Theory. Well, that was one of his nicknames.
But now the eight-time PGA Tour winner is known by a different moniker on the greens and that goes to show his silent nature. Cantlay earned this nickname after he came back on the PGA Tour from a debilitating back injury and won the FedExCup in 2021. When he knocked off the “Scientist,” aka Bryson DeChambeau in a sixth playoff, the crowd started chanting, ‘Patty Ice!’
At the Genesis Invitational as well, the field leader is hearing the same moniker being thrown around. Does Cantlay like his nickname, though? First, the Long Beach native has clarified that it is “not Matty Ice but Patty Ice.” Matty Ice was coined for quarterback Matt Ryan. Cantlay’s nickname is a wordplay on that. Secondly, Cantlay likes the nickname; he said at the post-match presser at Riviera, “I like it. I’m pretty low-key and mellow out there, that’s just who I am, how I am. It’s great.”
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When his nickname grew in popularity during the 2021 season, the 31-year-old was given the Atlanta Falcons’ No. 2 jersey with Patty Ice engraved to match it with their former quarterback, Ryan. While being a ‘Sheldon’ or ‘Patty Ice’ is not so bad, there was one nickname that Cantlay shared that did not really sit well with the golfer.
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The boring nickname of Patrick Cantlay
The golf world boasts iconic monikers that have become synonymous with golfers, such as ‘Tiger’, a name given to the 82-time PGA Tour winner by his father, that ended up perfectly sitting with the illustrious career, or Aussie Greg Norman, also known as ‘The Shark’, who became a household name in the world of golf because of his bold and groundbreaking efforts towards uplifting the sport on and off the course. But initially, when it came to naming Cantlay, it ended up being a rather mundane affair.
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In an interview given to the PGA Tour, the eight-time PGA Tour winner stated that “the most outlandish nickname” he has ever received is “PC.” Certainly, it was given to him after his name, was short for the same, and did not ring bells. That’s why Cantlay was grateful that people had forgotten about his former moniker and finally adopted something more suitable to his on-course character. Which one do you think suits Cantlay more, Sheldon, or Patty Ice? Tell us in the comments!
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