Cap Or No Cap, Patrick Cantlay Stole The Show On Day Two Of The Ryder Cup

After almost two full days of European domination, the 2023 Ryder Cup came to life on Saturday afternoon as Patrick Cantlay's stunning finish gave Team USA a lifeline heading into the singles.

The biennial contest looked as good as over when Europe won the Saturday morning foursomes session 3-1 to increase their overall lead to 9.5-2.5, but Zach Johnson's side rallied in the fourballs to reduce their arrears to 10.5-5.5 with 12 points still to play for.

Europe remain the firm favourites to win back the famous gold trophy at Marco Simone, but it's not the foregone conclusion it might have been. And that's thanks largely to Cantlay.

The 31-year-old was at the centre of a storm on Saturday as a report emerged that he had created a rift in the American camp after voicing his displeasure that he wasn't being paid to represent his country and refusing to wear a hat in protest.

The news spread like wildfire around the Italian venue as fans in their thousands booed and taunted Cantlay by waving their hats above their heads and chanting, "Hats off for your bank account."

But rather than deter, it inspired. The atmosphere was hostile and, no matter what you think of him, Cantlay deserves huge credit for standing up to it and producing his best golf of the week as he and Wyndham Clark took down Rory McIlroy and Matt Fitzpatrick on the final green.

The European duo were 1-up with three to play when Cantlay holed a crucial 10-footer for birdie on the 16th to avoid going dormie down. He followed that up with a stunning iron into 10 feet on the par-3 17th and rolled the putt home to tie the match heading to the par-5 closer.

And he saved the best for last. After a great drive, he leaked his second into the brutal and unpredictable greenside rough, from which he could only leave himself 43 feet for birdie and any chance of securing a full point so desperately needed. 

Amazingly, he delivered, pouring it home to spark ironic scenes of celebration as the American team members on and around the green all removed their hats and waved them in the air. Sadly, what happened next soured what should have been another moment of Ryder Cup magic as McIlroy and Joe LaCava got embroiled in a heated exchange that spilled over from the 18th green into the car park.

But it doesn't make what Cantlay did to keep the United States in with a slim chance of hanging onto the Cup they won so convincingly at Whistling Straits two years ago any less impressive.

Very few players would have been able to perform like he did under that pressure with the majority of fans against them. It's just a shame the headlines were stolen by the unsavoury drama that followed.