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ROME — Tempers flared and emotions became raw at the Ryder Cup Saturday when Rory McIlroy let his frustration spill beyond the golf course and into the parking lot.
After losing 1-up with Matt Fitzpatrick to Patrick Cantlay and Wyndham Clark, McIlroy angrily went after Justin Thomas’ caddie, Jim “Bones’’ Mackay, in the parking lot shortly after the match.
Why McIlroy was incensed at Mackay was not known, but the belief is that it stemmed from an incident on the 18th hole with Cantlay’s caddie, Joe LaCava — who waved his cap in celebration after Cantlay drained a massive birdie putt to give the Americans the crucial final point of the day to keep the deficit to within five.
As the second day of the 44th Ryder Cup began, the U.S. team looked like dead men walking.
But both teams capped the session showing plenty of passion, in one of the most passionate places on the planet.
The Europeans have been drumming the U.S., and the Americans were getting mocked along the way by creatively zany and wildly vocal European fans.
Make no mistake: The U.S. enters Sunday singles facing a deficit no team has ever overcome, trailing 10.5 to 5.5.
But there was something about Saturday. It felt like an awakening, and it climaxed with that fiery conclusion — the day’s eighth and final match on the 18th green of Marco Simone Golf and Country Club.
That’s where things got really heated.
Mackay and LaCava are best friends, so perhaps Mackay was defending LaCava
Cantlay, who hasn’t been wearing a cap at this Ryder Cup, had spent the entire day being ridiculed by the thousands of European fans, who came up with numerous creative chants and, en masse, were mockingly waving their caps every time Cantlay walked down a fairway or onto a green.
Cantlay, to his credit, had fun with it at times, smiling and acknowledging the chants like, “Hats off for your bank account,’’ they chanted on the 14th green.
On 18, as Cantlay, who’s a notoriously slow player, was lining his birdie putt up, a fan yelled, “Nobody gets paid for playing slow, mate.’’
Then another fan yelled, “Take your time, fella.’’
Cantlay then calmly buried his 43-foot birdie putt that would win the hole and clinch the match with the green surrounded by U.S. and European team players, captains, wives and others, and the place went crazy.
Live From just showed this angle of LaCava on the 18th green in Rory’s kitchen as he prepared for his birdie putt. Definitely right in Rory’s way. pic.twitter.com/NcBAILHBcJ
— Shane Bacon (@shanebacon) September 30, 2023LaCava wildly waved his cap to the crowd and kept doing it — even while McIlroy was lining up his birdie putt for the halve of the match (which he would miss).
McIlroy’s caddie, Harry Diamond, said something to LaCava and LaCava dismissively waved him off.
European players Justin Rose and Shane Lowry also confronted LaCava.
After the match, McIlroy credited Cantlay and Clark for their “great finish,’’ but added, “A few scenes there on 18 [will be] just fuel for the fire tomorrow.’’
LaCava, still standing greenside with his wife and Mackay’s wife after the match, told The Post, “I was just having a little fun and wanted to wave my cap.’’
LaCava, who’s highly competitive, had been listening to his player getting ridiculed on every hole and he probably went over the line with his celebration lasting a tick too long. In fact, after the incident, U.S. captain Zach Johnson walked over to LaCava, put his arm around him and said something to him.
Johnson afterward claimed all he said to LaCava was to congratulate him and Cantlay for getting a point out of the scintillating match.
McIlroy took serious exception to LaCava’s celebration, though it didn’t appear he said anything to LaCava afterward.
Videos that appeared on X, formerly Twitter, showed McIlroy, when he was about to get into a courtesy car to go back to the team hotel, go after Mackay, pointing his finger at Mackay’s chest and saying, “That was f–king horrible. That was a f–king disgrace.’’
Lowery had to physically restrain McIlroy, separating him from Mackay, leading him into the car.
“I’ll talk with Rory when I get back,’’ European captain Luke Donald said. “I didn’t see the incident personally. I saw the one on 18 and we always try to play with passion and energy, but play with respect.’’
Asked if a line was crossed by LaCava, Donald said, “I talked to Rory. He politely asked Joe to move aside. He was in his line of vision. He stood there and didn’t move for a while and continued to wave the hat, so I think Rory was upset about that. I understand that.
“Obviously, Rory felt like the line was crossed on the 18th green. I will address it with him when I see him. I wasn’t there personally in the car park, but when I get back, I will talk with him. We love this event because of the passion, but we want to do it the right way.’’
Johnson predictably did his best to downplay the row.
“What I saw on 18 was a phenomenal putt and a celebration by some of our guys,’’ Johnson said. “I saw passion and all that’s great in the Ryder Cup come out. And to my knowledge, based on what I was told, that was diffused after the match. I’m told it’s all good. You saw passion and the complete emotion involved in the Ryder Cup.’’
The end to Saturday should make for a fascinating Sunday — even with the large deficit the Americans face.
At the very least, the U.S. players woke up and found their passion. If that’s enough to win nine out of the 12 singles matches on Sunday is anyone’s guess.
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