“Average at best” - Rory McIlroy describes his relationship with rival PGA Tour golfer Patrick Cantlay

Patrick Cantlay made his PGA Tour debut in 2011, when Rory McIlroy was already a star on the circuit. The two have played dozens (if not hundreds) of rounds together in countless tournaments. But the familiarity has not created a close relationship between them.

Rory McIlroy said so himself in an interview published this Sunday, November 12, by the Irish Independent. According to the Northern Irishman, his relationship with Cantlay is "average at best".

Rory McIlroy used these words in the middle of the account he gave to the outlet of what happened in his famous controversy with Patrick Cantlay's caddie, Joe LaCava, during the most recent edition of the Ryder Cup. The Northern Irishman described some of the details surrounding the event itself.

This was part of what Rory McIlroy told the Irish Independent:

“Here’s what angered me. My relationship with Cantlay is average at best. We don’t have a ton 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 quieten the crowd for him. And I don’t think Fitz [Matt Fitzpatrick] and I were afforded the same opportunity to try and hole those putts to halve the match."

He added:

“I hit a decent putt but I under-read it basically, and Fitz hit a good putt but left it short, right in the jaws. 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."

What else did Rory McIlroy tell the Irish Independent?

Rory McIlroy spoke to the Irish Independent about a number of issues following his dispute with Joe LaCava. Some of them were related to the dispute he also had with Jim "Bones" Mackay, Justin Thomas' caddie, and the intervention of legend Tiger Woods in the matter.

Regarding the discussion with "Bones" Mackay, McIlroy admitted that the caddie approached him to try and calm the situation. However, the Northern Irishman was still upset about what happened on the course and reacted badly.

"Not my finest moment," McIlroy admitted as well.

Mcllroy also confirmed that Tiger Woods contacted him almost immediately. Joe LaCava has a long-standing professional and friendly relationship with Woods.

McIlroy said he had three messages and two missed calls from Woods by the end of the night. He told the Irish Independent that his response was a short message:

"It will be fine … long day … just want to go to bed."

The following day, McIlroy and the European team clinched victory at the Ryder Cup. The Northern Irishman closed with his best performance in the event, scoring four points in five matches.