Rory McIlroy on Ryder Cup

The bitter row about players not being paid at the Ryder Cup is yet to die down, with fresh reports unveiling a previously unheard exchange allegedly involving USA golfer Patrick Cantlay. The 31-year-old found himself at the centre of a media storm during the tournament as Europe triumphed over the USA to lift the trophy for the first time since 2018.

It was claimed that Cantlay refused to wear a USA cap as he was unhappy about not being paid to participate, with his stance reportedly driving a wedge between himself and his team-mates. He was taunted by Europe fans as a result but later explained that he was not wearing a cap because he could not find one that fitted properly.

However, golf website The Fire Pit Collective have reported that Cantlay told an American television reporter that he would wear a cap when he was ‘paid to be here, like he is’ while motioning in the direction of a PGA executive. The alleged exchange was rumoured to have taken place during the Ryder Cup weekend in Rome but has not been reported until now.

Cantlay was quick to assert that there was ‘no shred of truth’ to the claims that he wanted to be paid to take part, while USA captain Ben Johnson also insisted that the rumours were without substance. Meanwhile, representatives for Cantlay have continued to describe claims that he did not wear a cap for this reason as ‘fictitious’ and ‘completely false’.

JUST IN: Graeme McDowell admits he received death threats after joining rebel LIV Golf

Players have never been paid to compete in the Ryder Cup, with the PGA of America instead donating large sums of money to charitable causes. This year, the organisation was reported to have donated £163,000 per player to a charity of the player’s choice.

Both team captains insisted during the Ryder Cup weekend that players should not be paid to take part, with Europe skipper Luke Donald saying: “Absolutely not, the Ryder Cup represents true sport. It’s about representing your country. It’s about coming together as a team.

We use your sign-up to provide content in ways you’ve consented to and to improve our understanding of you. This may include adverts from us and 3rd parties based on our understanding. You can unsubscribe at any time. More info

Don’t miss…
LIV golfer’s WAG wants McIlroy ‘punched in the face’ after slagging off Woods[LATEST]
Koepka’s blunt three-word reply after Thomas’ plea following ‘parting shot'[NEWS]
US vice captain lifts lid on Rory McIlroy’s Ryder Cup car park caddie fury[INSIGHT]

“It’s the purest form of competition we have and I think because of that the fans love it. There’s no extrinsic motivation involved. It’s purely, purely sport.”

Donald’s view on the topic was echoed by Johnson, who added: “When it comes to the dollar sign, I don’t mean to sound cliched, but the Ryder Cup is about more than any of that. It’s about standing with a band of guys to represent your nation, to represent more than you in the game of golf.

“It’s a sport for one week. I would say if there’s anything that deals with money, there are guys that would pay to play in this. So I think that [the alleged Cantlay cap row] is extremely inaccurate and arguably irresponsible.”

Follow our Express Sport page on Instagram here.

Source: Read Full Article