'I want someone to tell me where anything that happened is disrespectful' - Couples' view of McIlroy-LaCava spat 

Fred Couples - an assistant captain on Zach Johnson's team - was following the action down the stretch.

Rory McIlroy of Europe and Joe LaCava, caddy to Patrick Cantlay of USA, on the 18th green during the afternoon fourball matches on day two of the 2023 Ryder Cup. Pic: Ramsey Cardy/Sportsfile

USA Ryder Cup assistant captain Fred Couples has given his view on the spat that occurred between Rory McIlroy and Joe LaCava - caddy to Patrick Cantlay - last weekend. 

Couples was following the action as Europe's McIlroy and Matt Fitzpatrick battled with USA's Cantlay and Wyndham Clark down the stretch on Saturday evening. 

What led to the confrontation between McIlroy and LaCava? The Irish Examiner's Maurice Brosnan explained: 

"After a woeful opening day where the US endured a record-equalling five-point deficit spilled into a brutal morning with another three foursome defeats, on Saturday afternoon they showed some life to bring the scoreboard back to 10½-5½," began Brosnan's writings from the day. 

"It finished with the sun setting behind the 18th and Cantlay sinking his third clutch putt in a row. Cantlay and Clark‘s success over Fitzpatrick and McIlroy was their third point from the fourballs.

"In the near darkness, Cantlay stood over a birdie putt and nailed the line. Earlier in the day it had been reported there was a split in the American camp with Cantlay at the heart of it. Sky Sports said he was refusing to wear a cap in protest at players not being paid.

“'The hat doesn't fit. It didn't fit at Whistling Straits and didn't fit this week. Everyone knows that,' said Cantlay when asked about it.

"After he nailed his final shot, his teammates rose to their feet and twirled their hats in celebration. 

"Cantlay doffed an imagery one in response, while LaCava continued to party vehemently in McIlroy’s line of vision until Shane Lowry power-walked across the green and confronted him. Eventually, everyone calmed down and both Europeans tried to match the putt."

"The confrontation continued into the car park, with McIlroy restrained by Shane Lowry."

Speaking about the spat, Couples - who had LaCava as his caddy for over two decades - told his SiriusXM PGA Tour Radio show that he didn't see anything disrespectful from LaCava's side. 

"I asked him (LaCava) what was said,” Couples said on the show. “He said Rory looked at him and said, ‘Mooove.’ And he made the ooo last a little longer.

“And Joe replied, ‘Relax, Rory.’”

Couples continued: "I want someone to tell me where anything that happened is disrespectful,” Couples said. “I didn’t see it. Patrick screamed, which he doesn’t do very often and he tipped his fake cap. We all were on the front of the green. No one moved. We just took our hats off and made little circles with our hats.

“It’s the last match of the day. We’re getting absolutely hammered. Now, we got a chance to get a halve. But what, did someone do a Justin Leonard, ran across the green? Patrick didn’t.”

The tour veteran insisted that everyone got wrapped up in the emotion and the drama, noting the distance he thought LaCava had travelled while waving his cap. 

“Rory, God bless, Rory, ’cause when he makes a putt in the Ryder Cup, he screams and yells ‘vamos’ and ‘let’s go’ and all that. That’s what you should do. Joe LaCava was standing [on the green]. I don’t think he moved two feet.”

“People think he shushed Rory when he did that hand gesture,” said Couples. “Little Harry Diamond, who we all love, too, caddies for Rory, then he chimed in. So Joe said, ‘I don’t have time for you.’

“Then Joe turned to get out of the way. And…Shane Lowry and [European assistant captain] Thomas Bjorn were screaming some things at him, which is fine. I don’t have any problem with Shane Lowry or Thomas Bjorn — they’re protecting the number one player on their team. But no one did anything wrong. 

"[LaCava] didn’t bump into [McIlroy]. He didn’t stand over him. It wouldn’t be a 15-yard penalty in college football for taunting. … He said he was 6 feet from him. Was Joe right? Probably not. [But] did anyone disrespect the European team?”

Back to the aforementioned car park confrontation. Couples insists, as McIlroy has already noted,  that Jim "Bones" Mackay was caught in the crossfire as he was the first out of the American team room. 

McIlroy, speaking on the late evening altercation, said: “[Bones] was just the first American I saw after I got out of the locker room,” McIlroy said Sunday. “He was just in the wrong place at the wrong time. I texted Bones this morning and apologized for that.”

Couples' view of the situation? 

“He was yelling at Bones, which is disrespectful with his wife standing a foot from him saying words that shouldn’t be said. Now, I’m on Rory’s side too — because I love Rory McIlroy to death — but when you’re incensed and you want to fight, you’re going to say things. Is that disrespectful?”