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MIND / ON TOUR
STARE DOWN Shane Lowry ( left ) and Joe LaCava exchanged heated words after the caddie’s celebration at the Ryder Cup.
Undercover Caddie When we get too involved, things get messy
J oe LaCava was in the wrong for his celebration at the Ryder Cup but for the right reasons. I remember fellow caddie Mitchell Knox once telling me, “If they’re talking about you, you’ve messed up.” That applies to LaCava’s zealous lingering on Saturday at Marco Simone after Patrick Cantlay dropped that ridiculous putt. LaCava was essentially right in the line – and in the face – of Rory McIlroy before he attempted his final putt of the match. You’ve seen the video and likely the one of a frustrated McIlroy in the car park later that night. What the tele- vision networks failed to show is how long LaCava’s peacocking truly lasted –
around 90 seconds – and how close he got to McIlroy. Keep in mind that all the distractions McIlroy has dealt with dur- ing the past two years while remaining graceful. You must act egregiously to cause McIlroy to snap like he did. It sounds like LaCava apologised and all is good between the two. The thing is, I feel like LaCava got a raw deal because he wasn’t the provocateur that he has been made out to be. I wasn’t in Italy for the Ryder Cup, but I’ve talked to players and caddies that were, and I’ve been in a few myself. Ryder Cups are as emotionally charged as this sport gets, and everyone on the grounds feels that electricity. Hell, I once saw a Euro- pean rules official give a fist pump after
Ross Fisher holed a putt. That type of provinciality gives the proceedings an edge, which I love. That edge also puts people on edge, and sometimes a line is crossed. On that Saturday in Rome, it wasn’t just the crowd’s behaviour towards Cantlay that was getting cruel. Shane Lowry – who is a damn good bloke – got way too carried away in the after- noon session as a spectator. It’s not just the cheering or chest-pounding; Low- ry was practically prancing down the 18th hole like he was auditioning for the Nutcracker at his local community theatre. That’s his right, and you could argue that type of emotion is why Eu- rope continues to kick America’s ass
12 GOLF DIGEST SOUTH AFRICA
MAY 2024
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