Europe's Ryder Cup captain, Luke Donald, has defended Rory McIlroy after the Northern Irishman was involved in a heated confrontation with US caddie Joe LaCava following the conclusion of day two at Marco Simone Golf Club. McIlroy was seen angrily gesturing in the car park before being bundled into a vehicle by teammate Shane Lowry.
The incident stemmed from celebrations on the 18th green after Patrick Cantlay holed a 43-foot putt, while McIlroy still had to play. McIlroy and Matt Fitzpatrick missed their putts, handing victory to Cantlay and Wyndham Clark. Donald explained that McIlroy felt LaCava crossed a line by waving his hat and failing to move out of his line of vision after being asked politely.
“I saw it unfold when Patrick made that putt,” Donald said. “Joe was waving his hat. There was some hat waving going on throughout the day from the crowd. Not [from] our players. 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 Rory was upset about that.”
The hat-waving theme had emerged after it was suggested Cantlay was refusing to wear a cap in protest at not being paid to play in the Ryder Cup, a claim he later denied. Donald praised the support shown by European players, including Lowry and Justin Rose, who also voiced their displeasure towards LaCava. “Of course they have their backs,” said the captain. “We are a big family this week. We support each other.”
Despite the drama, Europe holds a commanding 10½ to 5½ lead heading into the final day singles matches. “We are in a great position, five points ahead going into the singles at home,” Donald added. “I like where we are. I like the feelings in the locker room.”
