Tag: Joe LaCava

Patrick Cantlay hires Joe LaCava, Tiger Woods’s longtime caddie, to full-time job

Cantlay and LaCava have worked together before during the 2021 Northern Trust.

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — When Joe LaCava caddied for Steve Stricker at the PGA Tour’s Zurich Classic of New Orleans two weeks ago, Stricker made it very clear that it was a one-off for LaCava, who has been on the bag of Tiger Woods since 2011. But LaCava is working again this week at the Wells Fargo Championship for Patrick Cantlay, only this isn’t going to be a one-off.

Cantlay recently split with veteran caddie Matt Minister following the tournament in New Orleans. With Woods sidelined for the foreseeable future after undergoing ankle fusion surgery, LaCava was available for work and, as first reported by Golf Channel, LaCava is joining Cantlay on a full-time basis.

Cantlay and LaCava have worked together before during the 2021 Northern Trust when Minister missed time due to COVID-19.

LaCava, 59, cut his teeth caddying for his brother-in-law, Ken Green, caddying for him for the first time at the 1983 Manufacturers Hanover Classic when he was 19. He was on the bag for four wins during three years with Green before working for more than two decades for Fred Couples, including the 1992 Masters. He was on Dustin Johnson’s bag in 2011 when Woods asked him to take over his caddie duties following his split with Steve Williams.

Wells Fargo: Odds, picks | Thursday tee times

LaCava has received offers to work for other players before when Woods has been out with injuries but always remained loyal to Woods, joking that he was “semi-retired.” That loyalty came naturally — LaCava’s mother taught at the same school for 32 years and his father worked at the same bank for more than 30. LaCava was by Woods’s side for 11 official wins, including the 2019 Masters (as well as the 2011 Hero World Challenge, an unofficial event).

“He’s as loyal as loyal gets,” Justin Thomas said of LaCava. “There’s so many guys out here that would have him caddie in an instant. When he was loyal to Tiger and Tiger’s probably telling him go caddie, go do whatever, and Joe, that’s just not the kind of guy Joe is. But at the same time, very similar to Bones, he’s competitive and he’s a caddie. I mean, they love to caddie and they love to win golf tournaments and they love being in that moment. I’m sure that weighed into his decision as well.”

Thomas continued: “I don’t know the details and don’t know how long it is or what’s going on, but I know that that’s something that would never ever, ever be done if Tiger would not OK that. That’s not the kind of guy Joe is, kind of guy Tiger is and same with Patrick. There definitely was some kind of conversation that went on there.”

Cantlay, 31, has won eight times, including the 2021 FedEx Cup when he was named PGA Tour Player of the Year. He is ranked fourth in the world but is still seeking his first major.

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2023 Zurich Classic: Tiger Woods is out but Joe LaCava is subbing this week for Steve Stricker

.Stricker’s wife, Nikki, who has caddied for him off and on through the years, kept pushing for LaCava

AVONDALE, La. – While Tiger Woods may be sidelined for an extended period of time after undergoing surgery today, his caddie Joe LaCava has a bag this week at the Zurich Classic of New Orleans, looping for Steve Stricker.

“It’s a little bit longer story than what it needs to be probably,” Stricker said. “I asked his son first.”

LaCava Jr., who has caddied for Charlie Woods at the PNC Championship the last few years in a group with his dad, worked for Stricker earlier this year at the Cologuard Classic on PGA Tour Champions.

“Delightful kid, Joe Jr.,” Stricker said.

Unfortunately, Joe Jr. was already spoken for; he’s working on the Korn Ferry Tour for Brandon Hagy and already had committed to the job for the next couple of weeks.

2023 Zurich Classic at TPC Louisiana
Steve Stricker reacts during the pro-am prior to the Zurich Classic of New Orleans at TPC Louisiana on April 19, 2023, in Avondale, Louisiana. (Photo by Jonathan Bachman/Getty Images)

“I literally said, I can ask Joe, but I don’t think he’s going to want to come. ‘Fifty-five-year-old guy, washed-up Tour player. Do I really want to come all the way from (Connecticut) down to New Orleans?’ So my thinking went away from Joe Sr. right away. I’m like, he’s not going to want to come here,” Stricker recalled. “I asked a bunch of other guys and nobody could make it.”

However, Stricker’s wife, Nikki, who has caddied for him off and on through the years, kept pushing for Joe Sr.

Finally, Stricker caved and LaCava said, “Oh, heck, yeah, I’ll come.”

“Now he’s upset I asked his kid first,” Stricker said. “He’s such a great guy, fun to be with, easy to be with. Obviously is very good at what he does. We’ve been having fun with him so far. But that’s — short story made long, that’s how it ended up being.”

Stricker, the victorious captain of the 2020 U.S. Ryder Cup team and an assistant for this year’s match in Italy later this year, is teaming with Zach Johnson, his successor as U.S. Ryder Cup captain. Team Stricker-Johnson with LaCava Sr., on the bag, tee off on Thursday at 1:31 p.m. ET.

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Genesis Invitational 2023: Tiger Woods gets the message from Joe LaCava’s text

Tiger took LaCava’s text to heart and was on the green to practice.

PACIFIC PALISADES, Calif. — When Joe LaCava sent Tiger Woods a text last night, Tiger got the message.

After a poor putting performance on Friday and getting up-and-down on just eight of 15 times that Tiger missed a green in regulation, LaCava’s text said he needed 10 extra minutes of chipping and 10 extra minutes for putting.

“Hint, hint,” LaCava said.

“You can’t keep him on his feet for that long, right?” he continued. “I don’t want him on his feet for an hour and a half before he even plays, I get it. He needs to save himself for the round. But he’s trying so hard to get healthy that he hasn’t had enough attention to his short game. I said to him, ‘You’ve played two competitive rounds since May at the PGA.’ Those were at St. Andrews. I’m not beating him up. I’d expect him to be rusty but now that we’re here we’ve got to get after it.”

Tiger took LaCava’s text to heart and was on the green to practice.

“I got there early and Joey was nowhere to be found,” Tiger said with a smile.

“I was here,” LaCava said to set the record straight. “But I was elated. He was here even before I wanted him to.”

Whether that extra practice was the difference, who’s to say, but Tiger signed for a nifty 4-under 67 in the third round, his best score in the 12 rounds since he returned to competition last year at the Masters.

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A day after Woods had lost 1.699 strokes to the field, he gained more than a stroke and was 5 for 6 in saving par when he missed a green. The highlight with the short stick? A 28-foot birdie putt at 14 that he raised his putter a good 5 feet before it dropped in the hole. There was never a doubt. And seeing the Tiger trademark putter raise never gets old.

“I’ve always been a person who likes to hook my putts, so I just tried to feel like I went back to releasing the putter blade more, more right hand, more release. I just hate that blocky feeling which I had yesterday, which I can’t stand,” he said.

Woods nearly had an albatross at the par-5 first, but that eagle and a birdie at the fifth had him 5 under for the day. Only a bogey at No. 7 marred a special performance. He finished at 3-under 210 in a tie for 26th and a good 12 strokes behind Jon Rahm.

Genesis: Sunday tee times

Tiger noted ahead of the tournament he and LaCava had not worked together in Florida ahead of the tournament as they typically do.

“He kind of surprised me mid-week last week that he was thinking about it. I didn’t realize he was this close,” LaCava said.

Did he expect Tiger’s swing to be generating such speed already?

“No,” he said. “He told me about it. I’m not calling him a liar but my thought was I’ll believe it when I see it.”

He has seen it, all right. Tiger isn’t lacking in the distance department this week. Matthias Schwab, who along with Christiaan Bezuidenhout made up a threesome with Tiger, said, “Chris and I were talking about it, he outdrove us on almost every hole, which was a little bit sure surprising.”

As LaCava waited for Tiger to wrap up his media obligations, Harris English walked by and congratulated LaCava for a job well done on moving day.

“Just getting out of the way,” LaCava said. “That’s what I do best.”

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Photos: Caddies and their flags from the 18th hole after winning a tournament

Every week on virtually every tour, the winning caddie grabs the flag on 18.

It has become a tradition unlike any other.

Every week on virtually every tour, the winning caddie grabs the flag on 18. It has become the caddie’s trophy, as much of a ritual as players removing their hats and shaking hands after the round. But what is the origin of this tradition and who started it? No one seems to know.

“I don’t know how it happened,” says Ted Scott, who earned his third Masters flag working on the bag of Scottie Scheffler in 2022 to go with the previous two he pocketed with Bubba Watson in 2012 and 2014. “But it’s a cool tradition, a huge reward and a special thing. Whoever started it, I’m grateful for it.”

Golfweek did some digging, hoping to get to the bottom of this unsolved mystery, and along the way the stories we heard about caddies and flags were too good not to share.

Unsolved mystery: How did the flag at 18 become the caddie trophy?

It has become a tradition unlike any other. Every week on virtually every tour, the winning caddie grabs the flag on 18.

No caddie has enjoyed his winning flag quite like Ted Scott, who posted a video of himself with the 18th-hole flag and pole from this April’s Masters on his tractor, motorcycle and while brushing his teeth among other random things.

Jim “Bones” Mackay was on the bag for his sixth major at the PGA Championship in May, but this flag likely means the most to him and will get top-shelf status. Then there was England’s Billy Foster, who finally tasted victory at a major after 40 years on the bag and kissed the flag in the lower right corner as Matt Fitzpatrick was victorious at the U.S. Open in June. New Zealand’s Sam Pinfold made off with both a Players Championship and British Open flag this year working for Aussie Cameron Smith. And who can forget Japan’s Shota Hayafuji’s beautiful gesture: removing his hat and bowing his head after claiming the flag at Augusta National last April following Hideki Matsuyama’s triumph. From all four corners of the globe, caddies know the routine.

“As a youngster watching golf tournaments on TV in Japan, I saw that it is a tradition for caddies to take home the 18th-green flag,” Hayafuji says. “My heart was full of gratitude, and it was the natural thing for me to bow and show respect for the Masters.”

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It has become a tradition unlike any other. Every week on virtually every tour, the winning caddie grabs the flag on 18. It has become the caddie’s trophy, as much of a ritual as players removing their hats and shaking hands after the round. But what is the origin of this tradition and who started it? No one seems to know.

“I don’t know how it happened,” says Scott, who earned his third Masters flag working on the bag of Scottie Scheffler to go with the previous two he pocketed with Bubba Watson in 2012 and 2014. “But it’s a cool tradition, a huge reward and a special thing. Whoever started it, I’m grateful for it.”

Golfweek did some digging, hoping to get to the bottom of this unsolved mystery, and along the way the stories we heard about caddies and flags were too good not to share.

Joe LaCava dishes on Tiger’s potential schedule and tells a whopper of a story of caddying for the GOAT

“I’m hoping that he will play maybe in December at the Hero and the father-son…I’m hoping three, maybe four tournaments before The Masters”

Tiger Woods made it pretty clear last week at the 150th British Open that he won’t be playing anytime soon.

“Maybe something next year. I don’t know. But nothing in the near future,” he said after he missed the cut on Friday. “This is it. I was just hoping to play this one event this year.”

But Tiger’s caddie Joe LaCava, who has been on the bag for more than a decade now, said he’s not counting Tiger out for the Hero World Challenge in the Bahamas or some hit-n-giggle father-son time at the PNC Championship with Charlie in Orlando. Both of those events are scheduled for December.

“I’m hoping that he will play maybe in December at the Hero and the father-son, and then maybe the Genesis [Invitational]… I’m hoping three, maybe four tournaments before The Masters,” said LaCava, who appeared on the Dan Patrick Show on Thursday. “I won’t do much, I’ll do the same thing. I’ll say ‘Tiger, hey listen, if you’re starting to feel better in October or November, maybe I’ll come down for a couple of weeks [to Florida], we’ll hang out, don’t have to play every day, we don’t have to practice every day, I’ll be there and maybe give you a bit of motivation, we’ll do some playing practice here and there and get ready for the Hero and get ready for the following year of ’23 and get him ready in any respect that he needs.”

Where might Tiger play next year ahead of the Masters? If the body is willing, it wouldn’t be surprising to see him play at the Genesis Invitational tournament on the PGA Tour in the second week of February, a tournament at which he serves as the host and his Tiger Woods Foundation is the main charitable beneficiary. The Players Championship, a tournament that Tiger’s won twice could also be a good proving ground to remove the rust before the Masters in April.

Coming back from a horrific single-car accident in February 2021, Woods played in three of the four majors this season, finishing 47th at The Masters, withdrawing from the PGA Championship ahead of the final round, and missing the cut at St. Andrews.

LaCava also shared a hilarious story about how he likes to lug the bag on his right shoulder and the time he switched to a double-strap golf bag.

“I don’t think I could carry the bag from here to my front door left-handed,” he said.

LaCava and Jim “Bones” MacKay, longtime looper for Phil Mickelson who is now having success with Justin Thomas, was one of the first to use the double-strap bag and for several years he tried to convince LaCava to make the switch with no success.

“I just wouldn’t do it,” LaCava said. “It just felt funky to me, the whole nine yards.”

By the time LaCava started working with Tiger, he was getting older and the doube-strap bag became more appealing. Still, he wouldn’t budge. Finally, at the 2018 BMW Championship at Aronomink Golf Club near Philadelphia, Tiger took matters into his own hand. He showed up at the third leg of the playoffs with a double strap and hooked it up to his bag himself.

“Oh, man, now I have to give it a go,” LaCava recalled.

LaCava was dropping his towel and worried about a club falling out of the bag as he tested out the double strap during a practice round alongside Rory McIlroy. On Thursday, Tiger shot 62 and never missed a shot. LaCava’s phone blew up. He scrolled down to a text from his son, who hadn’t been in touch since being dropped off at James Madison University a month earlier. Joe Jr.’s message was classic: “All I get is double-strap and a question mark and it said, ‘Soft.’ ”

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‘I’ve gotten a lot stronger’: Tiger Woods in better place physically as he preps for 104th PGA Championship

About 12 players got in some work at Southern Hills on Sunday. Tiger Woods was one of them.

TULSA, Okla. – A little more than a baker’s dozen of players braved the heat index that toppled 90 degrees to get in some prep work Sunday at Southern Hills Country Club ahead of the 104th playing of the PGA Championship.

Among them was a healthier Tiger Woods.

“I’ve gotten a lot stronger since the Masters,” Woods said as he toured the front nine of the locale where he won the 2007 PGA Championship, his 13th of 15 majors and his first as a father. “We went back to work on Tuesday (after the Masters). Monday was awful; I did nothing and Tuesday was leg day.

“So we went right back after it. Everything is better.”

Despite a vicious storm front moving into the area, Woods didn’t rush his practice round and spoke briefly on the fifth fairway with a dozen reporters. Joined by Gary Woodland on the fifth tee, and after signing golf flags for Kevin Na walking off the first tee, Woods spent considerable time on and around the greens.

And he was walking taller, swinging freer and looking stronger than just a month ago, when Woods returned at the Masters just 14 months after nearly killing himself in a single-car crash north of Los Angeles; it was later learned that amputation of Woods’ right leg was an option.

The five-time Masters champion opened with a 71 at Augusta National but faded to 47th with rounds of 74-78-78.

“Hundred percent I see him stronger. I just think the endurance is there now,” caddie Joe LaCava said. “I don’t think he’s getting quite as tired as quickly. I see more endurance more than anything.”

Woods flew to Tulsa for an 18-hole practice round in late April. Then LaCava spent three days with Woods in Florida earlier this week as his boss was “ramping it up,” said Woods.

“We were doing some practicing and some playing, so it was a combination,” LaCava said. “We were not just playing and not just practicing. We were kind of mixing it up, kind of simulating what you might do at a tournament, doing some chipping and putting before and after, so you’re on your feet a little bit longer.

“Other than the fact that he won here in 2007, I think it’s the stamina and endurance thing that excites him the most.”

As does the future.

“It’s only going to keep getting stronger,” Woods said of his right leg. “The more I use it, the more strength it gains. Am I ever going to have full mobility? No. Never again. But I’ll be able to get stronger. It’s going to ache, but that’s the way it’s going to be.

“I’m excited about (the week). I’m not going to play that much going forward so anytime I do play, it’s going to be fun to play and to compete. There only so many money games you can play at home.”

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Why Fred Couples asked Charlie Woods for permission to use his caddie

Fred Couples nearly won for the first time in almost five years with Joe LaCava’s son on his bag.

Fred Couples nearly picked off his first PGA Tour Champions victory in almost five years.

The 62-year-old Couples was looking for a caddie for the Mitsubishi Electric Classic in Atlanta and hooked up with a familiar name, only this time it was the son of his former caddie who was by his side.

“I came here and told a lot of people that, yeah, I’ve got LaCava caddying for me,” Couples recounted, referring to Joe LaCava who worked for him for 22 years. “I didn’t really say, Joseph (the name of LaCava’s son). So he came and they all knew who he was immediately. He’s a superstar.”

Joe Sr., has worked for Tiger Woods in recent years, including at the 2019 Masters, and LaCava’s son has caddied for the past two years at the PNC Championship for Charlie Woods. When borrowing another player’s bagman, it’s customary to ask permission. Tiger once asked to use Fluff Cowan at the start of his career when Peter Jacobsen was injured and later Adam Scott requested to use Steve Williams while Tiger was sidelined. Couples thought it was only proper to ask Charlie for permission, too.

“I got in touch with Tiger and (Justin Thomas) was on the thread and they didn’t reply. I think maybe they thought we were teasing a little bit. I said, ‘Listen, Tiger, I need to make sure Charlie’s OK with Joe caddying for me in Atlanta’,” Couples told Golf Channel ahead of the tournament. “He got right back to me and said, ‘I just talked to him and he’s OK with it.'”

Did Joe Jr. reach out to Charlie too?

“I missed out on Charlie’s number as well, but looks like Fred took care of all the work, so, it’s all good,” Joe Jr. said.

The younger LaCava, who graduated from James Madison University, previously caddied during the summer at Winged Foot in Mamaroneck, New York, and still caddies there on weekends.

“I’ve known him since he was 4 years old,” Couples said. “I know his father like the back of my hand; he’s the spitting image of him. … it’s like the old days. I called Joe, told him to get a hotel near me and get a rental car. He’s picking me up and taking me to dinner. Nothing’s changing there.”

But for Joe Jr., this was the equivalent of getting promoted to the big leagues. After he walked the course, he called his dad, who gave him some simple advice.

“Always have a ball in the pocket, make sure the towel is always wet,” Joe Jr. said. “That’s about it.”

They made a good tandem. After a pair of 70s, Couples shot a final-round 6-under 66 to finish at 10-under 206, one shot short of tournament winner Steve Flesch. Still, his tie for second was good enough to earn a check for $132,000 and a pretty fat check for young Joseph.

Definitely like old times.

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Tiger Woods arrives at Augusta National to further test his surgically repaired leg ahead of the 86th Masters

At 3:21 p.m. local time Sunday at Augusta National Golf Club, Tiger Woods took to the practice ground and caused a stir.

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AUGUSTA, Ga. – At 3:21 p.m. local time on a peaceful Sunday at Augusta National Golf Club, Tiger Woods took to the practice ground and caused a stir.

With a smile on his face and without a limp in his step, Woods took a spot on the left side of the range and quickly went through a warmup.

Wearing a Georgia peach short and black slacks, Woods hit 33 golf balls – seven with his driver – in 20 minutes. At his side were Joey LaCava, his caddie, and Rob McNamara, his trusted friend, frequent playing partner and second pair of eyes.

The time on the range was extended by Billy Horschel, who came over for a big hug and began to chatter away. Also on the range were Sungjae Im, Max Homa, Mackenzie Hughes and Jason Kokrak among others.

2022 Masters Tournament
Reigning Masters champion Hideki Matsuyama greets five-time Masters champion Tiger Woods as he arrives at the practice facility Sunday afternoon at Augusta National Golf Club on April 3, 2022. (Photo: Rob Schumacher-USA TODAY Sports)

The five-time Masters champion and 15-time major winner then was escorted in a golf cart to the 10th tee, where he began what was likely a nine-hole practice round.

The course was closed to all but the players in the field.

“He looked like the Tiger we saw before the accident, the way the swing looked and the speed,” Horschel told reporters. “For him to hopefully be playing – which I think he is – I think we’re all giddy about it.”

Sunday was the next step for Woods, who will speak to the media at 11 a.m. ET Tuesday, as he determines if he will be fit enough to play in the 86th Masters starting Thursday. Woods could withdraw right up until his tee time on Thursday.

“It will be a game-time decision on whether I compete,” wrote Woods in a Tweet posted earlier in the day where he said he was heading to Augusta National.

Woods has been playing at The Medalist near his home in Jupiter, Florida, and on Tuesday flew up from the Sunshine State for an 18-hole practice round at Augusta National. He played with his son, Charlie, and 2017 PGA champion Justin Thomas.

It was a major test on the rugged, hilly Augusta National course for his surgically repaired right leg and foot on the rugged. Woods was involved in a horrific, single-car crash north of Los Angeles on February 23. He suffered multiple, serious injuries to his right leg and foot, and he later acknowledged that amputation of the leg was a possibility.

He was bed-ridden for months before slowly building back his body. Then he started putting and hitting golf balls. In December at the Hero World Challenge that benefits his foundation, Woods said that if he did return to the PGA Tour, he’d play on a limited basis.

Later that month, Woods, riding a golf cart, teamed up with Charlie in the PNC Championship, the two finishing second to John Daly and his son, John Jr.

His last official event was the 2020 November Masters, where he tied for 38th. At the time, he was ranked 33rd in the Official World Golf Ranking. He is now 944th.

Depending on how Sunday’s practice round went and considering the forecast that calls for heavy rains on Tuesday and more rain on Wednesday, Woods likely will play a practice round on Monday.

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Patrick Cantlay off to good start at Northern Trust with Tiger Woods’ caddie, Joe LaCava, on the bag

Replacement caddie? No problem for Cantlay.

To look at Patrick Cantlay, you wouldn’t know if he shot 80 or 70.

Would have no idea if the tricky winds that whipped all about Liberty National Golf Club in Jersey City, New Jersey, on Thursday in the first round of the Northern Trust gave him fits.

No clue how he got along with his replacement caddie who goes by the name of Joe LaCava. Or whether the pressure of the FedEx Cup Playoffs and trying to make the Ryder Cup team was getting to him.

Cantlay isn’t a robot, by any means. He just doesn’t show a lot of emotion whether he’s having a good, bad, or indifferent day. Guy has the perfect face and demeanor for the poker table.

Truth be told, however, Cantlay had a very good day on the course with striking views of Lady Liberty and the Manhattan Skyline. Cantlay birdied one-third of his holes and shot a 3-under-par 68 to earn a spot on the first page of the leaderboard in the first of three postseason events.

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His methodical work also bolstered his chances to win the FedEx Cup and its $15 million grand prize and did nothing to hurt his efforts to wear the red, white and blue in next month’s Ryder Cup.

“I thought I played really hard today. I don’t think it’s normal for it to be that windy that early, but it was soft. So if you hit good shots, you would be rewarded,” the four-time PGA Tour winner said. “Not perfect, but a really nice start.”

Harold Varner III said the same after he took the clubhouse lead with a 66. Also at 68 was Viktor Hovland.

Northern Trust 2021
Harold Varner III (right) is congratulated by Bubba Watson after making a putt for birdie on the 3rd hole during the first round of Northern Trust at the Liberty National Golf Club. (Photo: Mark Konezny-USA TODAY Sports)

Reigning British Open champion Collin Morikawa, who earned the pole position for the FedEx Cup Playoffs by winning the points race during the regular season, never found his rhythm nor his best form and shot 74.

Jordan Spieth, who was second in the standings heading into the playoffs, shot 72.

Walking alongside Cantlay this week is LaCava, who is in the employ of Tiger Woods and was the longtime caddie for Fred Couples. Earlier this year, LaCava caddied twice for Couples.

The Cantlay-LaCava partnership is a one-week gig. Cantlay’s full-time looper, Matt Minister, is out after testing positive for COVID-19 but Cantlay expects him to return to his day job next week at the BMW Championship. At the World Golf Championships-St. Jude Invitational two weeks ago, Cantlay had Joe Skovron, Rickie’s Fowler’s caddie, on the bag.

Cantlay became friends with LaCava at the 2019 Presidents Cup in Australia. He also bonded with Woods that week and expanded their relationship back in the U.S.; the two live in Jupiter, Florida, and both are members at The Medalist in nearby Hobe Sound. Cantlay got in touch with Woods and got the OK to put LaCava on the bag.

“I knew he was kind of sitting at home, so I just asked him if he was available,” Cantlay said of LaCava, who lives in Connecticut.

Something else happened Down Under – Cantlay fell in love with team golf in his debut in the Presidents Cup, where he formed a successful team with gold medalist Xander Schauffele and the U.S. was victorious with Woods as the playing captain.

Cantlay now wants to make his Ryder Cup debut. He said he’s been thinking about the Ryder Cup for a while. Cantlay is ranked No. 9 in the official world golf ranking and stands 11th in the Ryder Cup standings; following the BMW Championship, the top 6 automatically make the team and then captain Steve Stricker makes six discretionary selections after The Tour Championship.

“I just have to take care of business and play well,” he said. “I’d love to play in the Ryder Cup. It brings out the best in me and I get fired up for it.”

He’s of the same mind concerning the FedEx Cup. The winner of the Zozo Championship last fall and the Memorial in June stood in third place when the playoffs began, but points are quadrupled the next two weeks; regular-season victories garner 500 points, a win this week 2,000.

“I think I’m in a good spot,” Cantlay said.

Straight-forward answer as usual.

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