Fred Couples is beloved by just about all golf fans. He was in Rome last week for the Ryder Cup as one of the assistant captains for Team USA.
On Tuesday, he joined PGA Tour radio and talked about the tensions between Rory McIlroy and caddie Joe LaCava that played out Saturday morning.
After Patrick Cantlay made a massive, 43-foot putt to win the match against McIlroy and Matt Fitzpatrick, the celebration ensued. The cap waving to the crowd from LaCava and the entire American team was one of the few highlights of the week. However, the altercation that happened after is what most remember.
“It’s the last match of the day. We are getting absolutely hammered. Now we have a chance to get a half… did someone do a Justin Leonard and run across the green?” Couples asked.
“I asked Joe LaCava what was said. He said Rory looked at him and said, “Moooove” and he made the ‘ooo’ last a little longer,” Couples said. “Joe replied, ‘Relax Rory.’ Then people think he shushed Rory when he did that hand gesture. Little Harry Diamond, who we all love too, caddies for Rory, then he chimed in. Joe said ‘I don’t have time for you.’ Then Joe turned to get out of the way.”
“Shane Lowry and Thomas Bjørn were screaming some things at him, which is fine. I don’t have any problem — they’re protecting the No. 1 player on their team. No one did anything wrong. He didn’t bump into him, he didn’t stand over him. It wouldn’t be a 15-yard penalty in college football for taunting. He said he was six feet from him.”
Nevertheless, McIlroy was clearly irked and it spilled over onto the parking lot. Video later surfaced of the Northern Irishman having words with LaCava, who was out of frame, with Lowry holding him back.
“Was Joe right? Probably not. Did anyone disrespect the European team?” Couples said incredulously.
Couples appeared to set the record straight. After that whole incident, the caddie wasn’t able to talk to the media, so this retelling of the events is one of the first to surface, especially from an American point of view.
Savannah Leigh Richardson is a golf staff writer for SB Nation’s Playing Through. You can follow her on Twitter @SportsGirlSL and Instagram @savannah_leigh_sports for more golf coverage. Be sure to check out @_PlayingThrough too.
