Rory McIlroy Further Explains 'Complete Rage' From Saturday at the Ryder Cup
In the aftermath of a tense late Saturday scene at the Ryder Cup, Tiger Woods attempted to reach out to Rory McIlroy, apparently calling and texting him after his former caddie, Joe LaCava, got into an exchange with the golfer that later spilled over into the parking lot.
McIlroy was incensed when he believed that LaCava—who was caddying for Patrick Cantlay—was carrying on too much after Cantlay made a long birdie putt to potentially win the final match of the day.
Both McIlroy and partner Matt Fitzpatrick had chances to tie with their own putts but missed.
Rory McIlroy and caddie Joe LaCava had words at the Ryder Cup, and the incident is still being discussed.
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In an interview with the Irish Independent, McIlroy went into detail about the drama, including the attempts that Woods made to reach him as well as a text he got from LaCava.
"There was also three texts and two missed calls from Tiger, because they’ve obviously still close," McIlroy said in the interview published Sunday. "I sent him a quick message, 'It will be fine … long day ... just want to go to bed.'"
McIlroy also said that LaCava attempted to reach him. “'Hey Rory, would love to meet up in the morning to clear the air.’ But I was tired and didn’t get back to him."
McIlroy texted Mac
LaCava had been waving his hat to the crowd after Cantlay’s putt as had been done to him all day in the afternoon session after a SkySports report—which Cantlay denied—that he was not wearing a hat as a protest for not being paid to compete in the Ryder Cup.
Cantlay and other Americans later said they were unaware of the controversy and were unclear why the hat-waving was taking place.
In the interview, McIlroy admitted he doesn’t have a great relationship with Cantlay.
"Here’s what angered me," McIlroy said. “My relationship with Cantlay is average at best. We don’t have a ton in common and see the world quite differently.
“But when I saw he was getting stick on the 17th and 18th greens, I tried to quiet the crowd for him. And I don’t think Fitz and I were afforded the same opportunity to try and hole those putts to halve the match ...
“I shook Joe’s hand, and Patrick’s hand. Those three putts he made on 16, 17 and 18 were fantastic, and under that pressure, to give your team a glimmer of hope going into Sunday was big balls. So all respect to him.
“There was a bit of argy-bargy at the back of the 18th green with Fred Couples and Thomas Bjorn—and that’s fine—but as I’m walking back to the locker room I can feel this red mist coming over me. 'No! That wasn’t right.'"
McIlroy said that Shane Lowry kept from going into the U.S. team room to "sort this out" but later erupted at Jim "Bones" Mackay, Justin Thomas's caddie, who tried to approach him in the parking lot.
"He’s coming over to try and diffuse the situation," McIlroy said. "But he’s wearing an American top, and I know he’s friends with Joe, and I just tripped. Complete rage. I felt bad about it afterwards because Bones's wife was standing beside him, and I used a lot of swear words. So not my finest moment. Then Shane bundled me into the car."
McIlroy later texted Mackay on Sunday morning to apologize.
McIlroy said when he returned to the hotel that Saturday night, he said that Ricky Elliott—a fellow Northern Irishman and caddie for Brooks Koepka—as well as coach Claude Harmon III reached out to try and again diffuse the situation.
"I start having a go at them," McIlroy said. "'Joe LaCava used to be a nice guy when he was caddying for Tiger and now he’s caddying for that dick he’s turned into an ass ...’ I still wasn’t in a great headspace."