Angry Rory McIlroy in intense post-Ryder Cup car parking dispute flares up for second day

On a hot day in Rome, the scoreboard finally turned red and with it, the Ryder Cup went up in flames.

The catalyst was a strange news story that sparked a chain of events that turned America’s Patrick Cantlay into a pantomime villain, then saw him mockingly serenaded by thousands of fans as he walked the 16th fairway, causing members of both teams to exchange angry words on the 18th green, and ended with Rory McIlroy swearing in a car park, having to be restrained by his partner of the team Shane Lowry.

It started when the story broke at lunchtime that Cantlay was not wearing a Team USA cap on the course as a silent protest over not being paid to play in the Ryder Cup. Cantlay later vehemently denied it, but not before European fans took the opportunity to taunt him on every hole with shouts: “Where’s your hat, Patty?”

Comments follow him everywhere. As his chip rolled on the fourth hole, a voice from the top of the hill shouted: “You want money that?” The joke spread and snowballed at the Marco Simone Golf Club so that when he reached the 16th, a giant crowd of spectators waved their hats in the air as if they were saying goodbye to the Titanic, which – chant of “hats, in your bank account.” as he walked down the fairway. After keeping a poker face for most of the day, Cantlay finally smiled.

But he was clearly upset, and when he coolly sank a crucial long putt on the 18th, he quickly made a fanciful cap in the direction of the fans. His caddy, Joe LaCava, took the celebrations a step further, waving his own hat to elicit angry boos from the crowd. McIlroy tried to line up his own putt, and he flashed LaCava, who stepped back. Lowry and other European teammates who were watching were outraged, yelling at LaCava to show their respect.

“When Patrick made that putt, Joe was waving his hat,” said Europe captain Luke Donald. “Rory politely asked Joe to move away, he was in his line of sight. He stayed and waved the hat and I think Rory got mad at that.

McIlroy and his teammate Matt Fitzpatrick both missed their putts to confirm the USA’s much-needed point, and among the post-match handshakes there were words exchanged, first between McIlroy and LaCava, and then between Lowry, Justin Rose and the caddy that was burned. Caddies must protect their player at all costs and it’s hard to tell if LaCava is taking the heat on Cantlay or turning it up.

It was not the end. Later, Lowry was filmed restraining McIlroy in an angry exchange outside the clubhouse involving another US caddy, Jim “Bones” Mackay. McIlroy was seen pointing and swearing at someone off camera.

Asked about the video of an angry McIlroy, Donald said: “Rory is a passionate player, I’ll talk to him later about it.”

After the match, McIlroy said the challenges on the 18th green would only add to his desire to succeed on Sunday. “Obviously they had a great finish and Patrick made three great putts at the end to seal the deal, so hats off to them. They played really well. Yeah, some scenes there in 18 and just fuel for tomorrow’s fire.

Cantlay was peppered with questions in an awkward press conference, but declined to comment on his caddy’s behavior. “He’s the best,” he said of LaCava. “That’s all there is to say.”

It is no wonder that tensions have boiled over into conflict in the often emotional rivalry. In 30C heat, on a golf course where some fans drink all day, there are bound to be flash points, and McIlroy’s heavyweight clash with Cantlay is always a likely sight.

There were four games going on into the afternoon, but it seemed like half the population of Italy was walking beside them. Captains and vice-captains, friends and family of players, beautiful wives surrounded. Marshals with bibs, police with guns, photographers and journalists and radio broadcasters whispering into microphones. Niall Horan. Justin Timberlake. Peter Jones from Dragons’ Den. A steady stream of well-dressed Italians who, presumably, are friends of fashion designer and course owner Lavinia Biagiotti.

The match features world No 5 Cantlay, US Open champion Wyndham Clark and former US Open champion Fitzpatrick, but this is The Rory Show, a traveling circus that surrounds him as he performs small solo shows. Like the fourth green, when the fans filling a stand and a steep bench create a mini-amphitheatre, and silence descends, and the only sound is McIlroy’s feet around the his birdie putt. He did so, pumping his fists and exiting through a small tunnel to a deafening “Rory!” songs. It sent one to Europe.

Like his tee shot on the par-four fifth that started a mission to nail the sun. “Good sir,” whispered one of the US vice-captains, not as quietly as he thought. Like the sixth, where only his head was visible above the lip of the greenside bunker, and he splashed and almost holed it.

All around, the atmosphere was spiky, and Cantlay was the main target. He played very well, matching McIlroy stroke for stroke, and Europe’s birdie on four canceled out Cantlay’s on 11. Then, when Cantlay putt himself 15ft from the 14th hole, McIlroy hit one beautiful technique inside him up to 6ft; Donald raised his finger in celebration before the ball fell from the sky. Cantlay’s putt whistled over the edge of the cup, showing McIlroy on the line, and he made birdie to send Europe out again.

But Cantlay’s last three putts were shocking. He birdied the 16th with another birdie, despite the almighty hammering from the crowd onto the fairway, to level the match. He held his nerve on another 17 to halve the hole and send them all to the finish. And despite sticking his chip on the back of the green, he went on to knock in his final putt from 40ft to give Team USA a slight glimmer of hope going into Sunday’s singles.

Up front, the US dominated the first two games and Europe claimed the third through Rose and rookie Bob MacIntyre, but Cantlay’s heroics ensured the US took three points from the session and gained some momentum. Europe leads on 10½, with the US on 5½ with 12 points to play for.

Finally, the sun sets behind the hills, casting long shadows of green. The crowd turned into a hostile mob and the factions clashed with each other. It had been a long and surreal day and it was clearly time for everyone to go to bed. Tomorrow is another day.