McIlroy did not maintain again about Patrick Cantlay earlier than awkward US Open reunion

Rory McIlroy and Patrick Cantlay are set to go head-to-head in the final round of the US Open, less than a year after their fiery encounter at the Ryder Cup.

McIlroy managed to navigate the notoriously tricky Pinehurst No. 2, carding a 69, leaving him four-under for the week. This score has placed the four-time major champion in a tie for second place with Matthieu Pavon and Cantlay, all trailing behind leader Bryson DeChambeau.

This means that Sunday’s final round will see McIlroy paired with Cantlay, setting up an exciting showdown at Pinehurst No. 2, reports the Mirror. The pairing is sure to draw attention, given their previous clash at last year’s Ryder Cup in Rome.

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McIlroy played a key role in Team Europe’s emotional 16.5-11.5 victory at Marco Simone Golf and Country Club in Italy, helping them reclaim the trophy they had lost at Whistling Straits two years prior. During the fourballs in Italy, McIlroy was paired with Matt Fitzpatrick, facing off against Cantlay and future 2023 U.S. Open champion Wyndham Clark.

Despite winning the final two holes, Cantlay and Clark could only manage a one-up victory, keeping Team USA’s hopes alive. However, following the conclusion of the match on the 18th green, McIlroy was seen exchanging words with Cantlay’s caddie Joe LaCava.

LaCava, who once caddied for Tiger Woods, seemed to irk McIlroy by walking near him as he was preparing a putt on the final hole of the match. The spat spilled over into the car park, with McIlroy telling the Irish Independent: “Here’s what angered me. My relationship with Cantlay is average at best. We don’t have a tonne in common and see the world quite differently.”

“But when I saw he was getting stick on the 17th and 18th greens, I tried to quiet the crowd for him. And I don’t think Fitz (Fitzpatrick) and I were afforded the same opportunity to try and hole those putts to halve the match.”

“I shook Joe’s hand and Patrick’s hand. Those three putts he made on 16, 17, and 18 were fantastic, and under that pressure, to give your team a glimmer of hope going into Sunday was big balls. So all respect to him.”

“There was a bit of argy-bargy at the back of the 18th green with Fred Couples and Thomas Bjorn – and that’s fine – but as I’m walking back to the locker room I can feel this red mist coming over me. ‘No! That wasn’t right.'”.

“And they’re trying to defuse the situation, but I start having a go at them. Joe LaCava used to be a nice guy when he was caddying for Tiger, and now he’s caddying for that d*** (Cantlay) he’s turned into a…. I still wasn’t in a great headspace.”

Speaking on Saturday, Cantlay held a positive outlook for his pairing with McIlroy. In conversation with reporters, he expressed, “Yeah, should be great. I don’t know what Bryson is finishing up at, but to be in second or T-second, I’m in a great spot come tomorrow. It’s a golf course that’s a challenge.”

“If you can make some birdies, you can gain a lot of ground. I’m really happy with how I played today, and I’m looking forward to tomorrow.”