McIlroy snubs ‘cheating’ caddie after Ryder Cup row

Rory McIlroy, the world number two golfer, has refused to acknowledge or apologize to Joe LaCava, the caddie of his American rival Patrick Cantlay, who allegedly waved his cap in McIlroy’s face during a crucial putt at the Ryder Cup on Sunday. The incident sparked a heated argument between McIlroy and LaCava on the 18th green at Marco Simone Golf Club in Rome, and later continued in the car park, where McIlroy had to be restrained by his European teammate Shane Lowry. McIlroy claimed that LaCava was deliberately distracting him and violating the etiquette of the sport by celebrating Cantlay’s 43-foot birdie putt before McIlroy had a chance to tie the match with his own putt. McIlroy missed his putt, giving Cantlay and his partner Wyndham Clark a 1-up win over McIlroy and Matt Fitzpatrick. The victory helped the US team extend their lead over Europe to 10½ to 5½ points heading into the final day of the biennial tournament. LaCava, who is also the long-time caddie of Tiger Woods, denied