Tiger Woods can bring most people back down to earth in the golf space, and Patrick Cantlay is a recent victim.
In the news of Scottie Scheffler winning the PGA Tour Player of the Year honors over Jon Rahm, Cantlay was asked by the media on Wednesday how Tour pros prioritize wins and top finishes and scoring average.
“Well, I think it comes down to the individual,” said Cantlay before diving into a story about his first time visiting Woods’ home after he won Player of the Year in 2021.
“I went over to Tiger’s house, I think to talk Ryder Cup after I had won Player of the Year, and it felt like a big deal to me at the time that I had got a Player of the Year, and they give you this little Jack Nicklaus bronze trophy,” he explained per Golf Magazine. “So we’re walking through Tiger’s house and we’re in the basement and he’s got like, 11 of ’em lined up right next to each other all in the corner of the basement — boom, boom, boom, boom, boom, boom, boom. And I go, ‘Hey, I’m catching up,’ and he looked at me and he goes, ‘You got a lot of work to do.’”
Patrick Cantlay waves after making birdie on the 16th green during the second round of The Sentry at Plantation Course at Kapalua Golf Club. Getty Images
During the height of his talent Woods won the award nine times from 1999-2009, only losing out to Vijay Singh in 2004 and Padraig Harrington in 2008.
Cantlay has a total of eight PGA victories, including the 2021 FedEx Cup Championship and as a winning member of the U.S. Ryder Cup team in 2020 and the Presidents Cup on the 2019 and 2022 teams.
He recently revealed that he met with representatives from LIV Golf but he doesn’t envision leaving the PGA Tour.
Cantlay had been one of the top players rumored to move even after he served on the PGA Tour policy board in 2023.
Tiger Woods won PGA Player of the Year 11 times. Getty Images
“It’s a personal calculation based on your values, your priorities, et cetera,” Cantlay told Golf Magazine. “So I don’t think it’s a surprise that there’s a certain type of player that’s tended to go over there, on the whole. For me? I have no plans on joining LIV. I don’t plan on joining LIV. I see myself playing on the PGA Tour.”
“I declined offers,” Cantlay said. “Pre and post joining the board. And the most recent offer I got, I declined in the same meeting that my management team brought it to me.”
The allegations against him about his desire to be paid for his Ryder Cup participation didn’t help his brand to the public.
It was reported that Cantlay didn’t wear his U.S. Ryder Cup hat during the tournament because of the belief that players should be compensated, which is has denied on multiple occasions.
