Donald showed true colours with reaction to McIlroy's Ryder Cup caddie bust-up
Rory McIlroy has revealed European Ryder Cup captain Luke Donald 'loved' his fiery exchange with two Team USA caddies at last month's event at Marco Simone.
McIlroy infamously clashed with Patrick Cantlay's caddie Joe LaCava, after the American defeated the Northern Irishman and Matt Fitzpatrick in the Saturday afternoon fourballs. Cantlay himself had been embroiled in controversy earlier in the day, after Sky Sports reported that he had led a fallout within the U.S. camp and was not wearing a cap in protest of players not being paid.
In an ironic nod to the reports - that were quickly squashed by the Americans - Cantlay's teammates waved their hats in the air after the former FedEx Cup champion rolled in a match-winning putt on the 18th green.
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One man who joined in with the celebrations was caddie, LaCava, but he overstepped the mark when appearing to goad McIlroy, who still had a putt for the half. After missing his attempt and losing the match, tempers flared as the European star confronted the US bag-man.
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Moments after McIlroy was then involved in another caddie bust-up this time with Justin Thomas' right-hand-man, Jim 'Bones' Mackay, who the European squared off with in the Marco Simone car park. Over a month on from the drama McIlroy has revealed how skipper Donald reacted in the aftermath.
He told the Irish Independent: "Luke [Donald] comes in and sits down and doesn’t acknowledge anyone. And he looks at me and I’m thinking, ‘I could be in trouble here,’ but he goes, ‘Rory! I f****** loved that!’ And all the boys started banging the table.
Rory McIlroy clashed with Patrick Cantlay's caddie Joe LaCava (Ross Kinnaird/Getty Images)"It was brilliant. It had been a really deflating finish, but it galvanised the team.” On the back of the roaring reaction, McIlroy and his European teammates returned a day later to win the Ryder Cup, defeating their American rivals 16.5-11.5 to win back the title they had lost at Whistling Straits two years earlier.
It was a week of drama on and off the course for McIlroy, who in the end prevailed as Ryder Cup's most prolific player, earning four points from a possible five to guide his team to victory. With the dust now settled it appears there is still no love lost between the four-time major winner and his rival Cantlay, who he described as a 'd***'.
McIlroy also revealed he had messages and missed calls from LaCava, and Tiger Woods - who had previously worked alongside the caddie in question - in the aftermath of the Saturday evening spat. "I went back to my room and there was a text from Joe LaCava: ‘Hey Rory, would love to meet up in the morning to clear the air.’ But I was tired and didn’t get back to him," he added.
“There was also three texts and two missed calls from Tiger, because they’re obviously still close. I sent him a quick message: ‘It will be fine … long day … just want to go to bed.’”
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