Patrick Cantlay faces new hat dilemma after Ryder Cup row

It was the Ryder Cup subplot that gripped the sporting world. 

Patrick Cantlay inadvertently breathed life into a one-sided match on a surreal Saturday in Rome seven weeks ago, where the world No.5 was fiercely heckled for going hatless in the searing sun.

The accusations were that Cantlay was at the centre of a rift in the US locker room and chose not to wear a hat in protest for not being paid to play in the team competition.

He tried to his best to brush off those rumours, which had spread like wildfire across the fairways of Marco Simone, by claiming that a Team USA hat “just doesn’t fit.”

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That was, of course, before the Fire Pit Collective’s Michael Bamberger reported that Cantlay had told veteran NBC reporter Steve Sands on the first tee on the opening morning that “I’ll wear a hat when I’m paid to be here.”

And while the debate rumbles on over whether players should get paid to compete at the Ryder Cup, another twist has emerged in relation to Cantlay’s choice of headwear.

First reported by the New York Times’ DealBook, Cantlay will no longer be profiting from his lucrative hat deal with Goldman Sachs, after the investment bank decided not to renew its sponsorship agreement.

“We constantly evaluate the firm’s partnerships, and at this time, our logo will no longer appear on his hat,” Goldman Sachs spokesperson Tony Fratto confirmed.

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Cantlay has had Goldman emblazoned across his hat in PGA Tour events ever since since becoming the first professional athlete to be sponsored by the firm in its 150-year history back in 2020.

The deal had been made as part of plans to push brand awareness in Marcus, Goldman’s online retail banking platform.

But Goldman has now stepped away from consumer banking to prioritise its investment banking service, which means the company will no longer require Cantlay to use their logo to promote their online brand.

With the Ryder Cup chaos still fresh in the memory, Cantlay’s next move will now be monitored with great intrigue.

Ben Parsons joined bunkered as a Content Producer in 2023 and is the man to come to for all of the latest news, across both the professional and amateur games. Formerly of The Mirror and Press Association, he is a member at Halifax Golf Club and is a long-suffering fan of both Manchester United and the Wales rugby team.