Patrick Cantlay ‘made first tee comment to American TV reporter about wanting to be paid to play at the Ryder Cup’ to spark ‘Hatgate’ row

• Reports suggested Cantlay refused to wear a USA cap because he wasn’t being paid to compete at the Ryder Cup 
• New claims have emerged that Cantlay made a comment to a US TV reporter
• Cantlay and the American team maintained the story was ‘just outright lies’ 

Patrick Cantlay allegedly told an American television reporter he would wear a USA team cap at the Ryder Cup when he was ‘paid to be here, like he is’ before pointing to a PGA official standing nearby.

‘Hatgate,’ as the Cantlay row became known, would completely overshadow Europe’s crushing 16.5-11.5 victory over the United States at Marco Simone in Rome.

Claims that Cantlay believed he should be paid to compete in the event emerged on the second day of the Ryder Cup alongside suggestions his stance had caused friction within the American camp.

Europe’s fans taunted Cantlay for the remainder of the weekend, waving their caps at the golfer and singing songs about his alleged greed.

Both Cantlay and US captain Zach Johnson repeatedly insisted there was no substance to the claim.

Fresh claim have emerged in the Patrick Cantlay ‘Hatgate’ row at last week’s Ryder Cup

European fans mock Cantlay by waving their caps in the air after reports emerged during the event in Rome that he wanted to be paid to compete at the Ryder Cup

Reports claim Cantlay made the unguarded first tee comment to NBC golf reporter Steve Sands, pictured here with Rory McIlroy 

But golf website The Fire Pit Collective has claimed that when Cantlay emerged to play his first tee shot on the Friday, Steve Sands, the veteran NBC reporter, asked him: ‘No hat?’

According to the report, Cantlay pointed in the direction of Julius Mason, a long-serving PGA of America public relations executive, nearby and said something along the lines of: ‘I’ll wear a hat when I’m paid to be here like he is.’

The Fire Pit Collective say they have the veracity of the exchange on good authority from three people who were present.

Shortly afterwards, a tweet by the Sky Sports reporter Jamie Weir claimed ‘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.’

Cantlay, 31, would later insist he wasn’t wearing a cap because he couldn’t find one that fit, pointing out he also didn’t wear one during the 2021 Ryder Cup at Whistling Straits.

The situation led to the heated exchange between Europe’s Rory McIlroy and Cantlay’s caddie Joe LaCava, who waved his hat around in response to the crowd’s taunts, disrupting a McIlroy putt.

Cantlay was the only American player not to wear a cap on the first day amid rumours of a division within the camp 

The home crowd wave their caps at the American as he stood on the 10th green on Saturday

McIlroy was embroiled in a bitter row with Cantlay’s caddie, Joe LaCava, after Cantlay sank a huge putt and LaCava celebrated exuberantly

LaCava waved his cap around in response to the taunts by the European fans in Rome 

On Sunday, Cantlay insisted in an interview with Sands the reports of division behind the scenes were ‘just outright lies’ without ‘a shred of truth.’

‘It’s totally false – it couldn’t be further from the truth,’ Cantlay said. ‘There hasn’t been one word of that [dissent] all week. The US team has been close all week.’

It was also claimed by Xander Schauffele’s father, Stefan, that Cantlay didn’t wear a cap because he was getting married immediately after the Ryder Cup and didn’t want a golfer’s tan in his wedding photos.

Cantlay married Nikki Guidish in Rome on Monday – 24 hours after America’s defeat.

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