Patrick Cantlay’s methodical pace of play came under fire again at the PGA Tour’s season finale — but Phil Mickelson managed to flip the conversation with a tongue-in-cheek defense.
Cantlay was in the mix at East Lake on Sunday, paired with Tommy Fleetwood in the final round. The pair fell a hole behind at the par-4 13th after errant tee shots. Fleetwood settled for bogey, while Cantlay rescued par with a brilliant flop shot from thick rough.
Still, many were unimpressed with how long it took. The hole dragged on for more than 17 minutes, and Cantlay in particular drew attention for standing frozen over shots for over 20 seconds and shuffling his feet before swinging.
Commentators and players piled in, with Romain Langasque calling the pace “terrible” and Rich Beem reminding viewers that “it ain’t Tommy who is slow.”
Mickelson, spotting an opportunity for humor, calculated the footwork instead of the scorecard. “He shuffled his right foot 26 times before hitting it,” Mickelson wrote on X. “Multiply that by 36 shots and you’ve got 936 foot shuffles. That’s more calf raises than I’ll ever do. So let’s stop the hate and appreciate that golfers are athletes.”
It was classic Mickelson — poking fun while lightening the mood. Cantlay, as usual, let his golf do the talking.
The Californian, who finished 15th in Ryder Cup points, is still in the mix for a captain’s pick. His match-play record is impressive: 5-2-1 at the Ryder Cup and 15-6-1 when combined with Presidents Cup results. While he hasn’t addressed his chances directly, he admitted his form is improving with the help of a new putting coach.
“It’s always nice to have your game take shape at the end of the year,” Cantlay said. “I’m focused 100 percent on this week, and we’ll worry about the Ryder Cup later.”
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