Joe LaCava has reportedly apologised to Rory McIlroy for an incident which sparked a heated confrontation in the car park at Marco Simone following Saturday’s fourballs.
Patrick Cantlay has been the centre of attention since reports emerged suggesting he was refusing to wear a Team USA hat in protest at not being paid to play in the Ryder Cup.
The European fans had their fun with the American by waving their hats around in the crowd, but furious scenes erupted after the visiting team snatched a crucial victory to finish proceedings on day two.
Cantlay made a 43ft birdie putt which proved to be the match-winner, but Rory McIlroy and Matt Fitzpatrick were still waiting to play for the tie.
LaCava appeared to continue waving his hat and standing in McIlroy’s line of vision as he prepared to putt, despite the Irishman asking the caddie to move aside.
Shane Lowry especially made his displeasure towards LaCava clear on the 18th green and the drama spilled out into the car park shortly after.
As McIlroy was leaving the clubhouse, tensions remained high and a camera filmed him shouting at someone out of shot whilst Lowry and Justin Thomas’ caddie Jim ‘Bones’ Mackay attempted to calm him down.
A furious Rory McIlroy confronted a Team USA caddie in the car park, after he was spotted waving his cap in McIlroy’s face when lining up his final putt on 18 😳pic.twitter.com/Ha4r5hDsGi
— Sky Sports News (@SkySportsNews) September 30, 2023
According to a report from NBC, LaCava reached out to McIlroy and Team Europe to clear the air. He met with McIlroy on Sunday morning ‘to apologise and get last night’s incident behind them’ going into the final day.
Europe captain Luke Donald confirmed that his star man was upset with LaCava’s behaviour in the post-match press conference.
“When Patrick made that putt, Joe was waving his hat,” said Donald. “Rory politely asked Joe to move aside from his line of vision. He stood there and didn’t move for awhile and continued to wave the hat.”
Other Content You May Like
- Best Sports Betting Sites – Your guide to the best sportsbooks to bet on sports
- Best Golf Betting Sites – The best betting sites to place your golf bets
- Free Betting Tips – Exclusive betting tips for various sports completely free of charge
- Golf Free Bets – Work out all of your best sports free bets today
- Best eSports Betting Sites – Your guide to the best eSports betting sites in the UK
- Exclusive Cash Out Betting Sites – Best cash-out betting sites from various UK bookmakers
- Best Betting Apps – Your guide to the best betting apps in the UK
- Best UK Sports Streaming Sites – Best sites that you can stream sports in the UK
Add Sportslens to your Google News Feed!
