Report: Hatless Patrick Cantlay causing Team USA rift at Ryder Cup
According to a report, Patrick Cantlay and Xander Schauffele are sitting in a separate area of the Team USA dressing room at the 2023 Ryder Cup.
ROME - Patrick Cantlay is reportedly causing a split in the United States camp over his apparent unhappiness at not being paid to compete in the Ryder Cup.
Per Sky Sports Jamie Weir, Cantlay has refused to wear a Team USA cap as a protest for not being compensated.
Weir reports Cantlay declined an invitation to the gala dinner earlier in the week that was attended by the wives and girlfriends of Team Europe and Team USA.
Zach Johnson previously confirmed cameras filming the second series of the Netflix golf documentary Full Swing wouldn't be allowed inside the dressing room here at the Marco Simone Golf & Country Club.
It is claimed by Weir that Cantlay and his good pal Xander Schauffele were the two players who were refusing access.
Weir also reported that Schauffele and Cantlay are sitting in a separate area of the team dressing room.
Reported Weir:
It's important to point out that Presidents Cup players aren't paid.
Per the PGA of America: "Players are not paid for their participation, but each competitor allocates an equal portion of the funds generated to charities of his choice."
Cantlay and Schauffele were two of three U.S. players who did not attend a scouting trip here a few weeks ago.
That was because they were at Cantlay's stag-do instead ahead of his wedding to Nikki Guidish.
The other player who didn't attend was Jordan Spieth because his wife Annie was due to have their second child.
Cantlay and Schauffele were defeated 2&1 by Rory McIlroy and Tommy Fleetwood in their first match.
Cantlay sat the afternoon fourballs session but Schauffele played. He was defeated 5&3 playing alongside Collin Morikawa against McIlroy and Matthew Fitzpatrick.
Understand from several sources that the US team room is fractured, a split led predominantly by Patrick Cantlay.
Cantlay believes players should be paid to participate in the Ryder Cup, and is demonstrating his frustration at not being paid by refusing to wear a team cap.— Jamie Weir (@jamiecweir) September 30, 2023
He wore a cap at last year's Presidents Cup, for which players ARE paid.
Cantlay also refused to attend the gala dinner earlier in the week and, along with close friend Xander Schauffele, is sitting is a separate area of the team dressing room.— Jamie Weir (@jamiecweir) September 30, 2023
Before the Ryder Cup it was widely reported that the same pair were the ones refusing to allow Netflix cameras access to the team room.
— Jamie Weir (@jamiecweir) September 30, 2023
Johnson later appeared to blame illness as a reason for why Team USA have started so poorly here and trailed trailed by five points.
Cantlay played with Schauffele once again in the foursomes format with Schauffele against Jon Rahm and Tyrrell Hatton.
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