Patrick Cantlay was at the centre of a ‘hat-gate’ storm during the 2023 Ryder Cup, with the Team USA star refusing to wear a cap due to not being paid for his involvement
A year after Patrick Cantlay’s ‘hat-gate’ controversy at the 2023 Ryder Cup in Rome, the Team USA star has chosen to don a cap at this week’s Presidents Cup in Montreal.
Cantlay is once again part of the US team that will face off against the International Team, with the 32 year old competing in his third Presidents Cup. Cantlay has become a fixture for the United States on the matchplay stage, having also established himself as a regular at the Ryder Cup.
His last appearance was a year ago in Italy, where Cantlay made his second consecutive appearance at the Ryder Cup, but it turned out to be a contentious week for the former FedEx Cup champion.
From the start, Cantlay chose not to wear a Team USA cap during practice and the opening day of play, before the so-called ‘hat-gate’ kicked off on day two. Ahead of his afternoon fourball match alongside Wyndham Clark against Rory McIlroy and Matt Fitzpatrick, Cantlay’s involvement in the Ryder Cup became controversial.
According to a report from Sky Sports, the Team USA camp had been left ‘fractured’ after Cantlay expressed his frustrations over not being paid to represent his country on the Ryder Cup stage. It was alleged that in protest over the lack of payment, the PGA Tour star was refusing to wear a cap while playing.
Rumours of a protest swiftly circulated around Marco Simone while Cantlay was in action. As the news spread rapidly, the European crowd didn’t hesitate to taunt the American player, with spectators repeatedly waving their caps as Cantlay passed by.
Afterwards, Cantlay was questioned about the alleged protest, but he dismissed the claims. When asked if he thought players should be paid to compete at the Ryder Cup on the day of the report in Italy, he responded: “It’s not about that. It’s just about Team USA and representing our country.When pressed for a response, Cantlay stood his ground, stating: “That’s all I’ve got to say about that.”
The 32 year old was then asked if his decision to go hatless was a form of protest, to which he answered: “The hat doesn’t fit. It didn’t fit at [the 2021 Ryder Cup] and didn’t fit this week. Everyone knows that.”
However, a year later, it seems Team USA designers have finally got their sizing right as Cantlay was seen wearing a U.S. cap during Monday’s practice. Despite his efforts on the Ryder Cup stage, Cantlay and his fellow competitors will not receive payment for playing this week.
“The Presidents Cup is a unique golf event in that there is no purse or prize money,” the tournament website states. “Players are not paid for their participation, but each competitor allocates an equal portion of the funds generated to charities of his choice.
Since the inception of the Presidents Cup in 1994, more than $56.4 million has been generated from event proceeds. Over the past “25 years, the Presidents Cup has impacted more than 475 charities in 18 countries worldwide.”
