It’s funny how a hat (or a lack thereof) got Patrick Cantlay into a storm of public scrutiny a while back. The 2023 Ryder Cup was not so merry for Mr. Cantlay, or so you’d think. However, a recent revelation by Wyndham Clark has given a new perception to the golf fraternity about Cantlay’s reaction to all that happened.

Months have passed since the 31-year-old first started dealing with accusations of “fracturing” Team USA in the 2023 Ryder Cup. Many would have guessed that the allegations would have crushed the PGAT pro. So what changed?

A Patrick Cantlay ‘hat’ story

Fashion is more than just expression; fashion is a statement and sometimes the crux of many one’s problems. The latter was the case with Patrick Cantlay when he chose not to wear his hat at the 2023 Ryder Cup, which many interpreted as a silent protest for his ask to get better pay.

Patriotic European fans seized this opportunity and openly chanted in unison, “Hats off for your bank account.” While this open chant on the greens night comes as a bummer to many, according to Clark, that was definitely not the case with the 8-time PGA Tour winner. In fact, he translated it into a display of love by his fans.

In a conversation with Colt Knost and Drew Stoltz at the GOLF’s Subpar podcast, Wyndham Clark revealed, “Everyone had their hats off going ‘hats off to your bank account’ and waving it. And PC was like, ‘Oh, look, everyone’s waving at me… Everyone loves me.‘ And it was really funny because I was like, ‘Wow, most people wouldn’t have taken it that way.’ So he handled it great.”

The optimistic opinion expressed by Cantlay in the event of such a massive public display against him stunned Wyndham Clark, who would have expected an entirely different from someone in Cantlay’s shoes. But what was Cantlay’s reason for not wearing the controversial hat?

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Why was Cantlay hatless?

While many suspected that it was a protest for better pay by Cantlay that led to the absence of his hat, the famous professional golfer had other reasons for the same. According to him, it was not a protest, but far from it.

Read More: ‘When I’m Paid’: Days After Getting Married, Ugly Hatgate Truth About Patrick Cantlay Comes to Light

In Cantlay’s words, “The hat doesn’t fit. It didn’t fit at Whistling Straits, and it didn’t fit this week. Everyone knows that.”

While it remains a matter of contention as to why the famous PGAT star went hatless in the golfing community, one thing we now know for sure is that the procession did not shoot Cantlay’s spirits down.

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