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2021 Ryder Cup: Patrick Cantlay’s clutch putting makes him scary opponent

By Savannah Leigh

OWINGS MILLS, MARYLAND - AUGUST 29: Patrick Cantlay of the United States celebrates after defeating Bryson DeChambeau of the United States on the sixth playoff hole during the final round of the BMW Championship at Caves Valley Golf Club on August 29, 2021 in Owings Mills, Maryland. (Photo by Rob Carr/Getty Images)
OWINGS MILLS, MARYLAND - AUGUST 29: Patrick Cantlay of the United States celebrates after defeating Bryson DeChambeau of the United States on the sixth playoff hole during the final round of the BMW Championship at Caves Valley Golf Club on August 29, 2021 in Owings Mills, Maryland. (Photo by Rob Carr/Getty Images) /
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Patrick Cantlay was one bad man with the flat stick in his hand during the 2021 BWM Championship. That putting earned him his third PGA Tour victory of the year and elevated him to the No.1 spot in the FedEx Cup standings.

It may have taken six playoff holes, but when someone with 14.577 strokes gained putting through four rounds, something isn’t right if they don’t win the tournament. That statistic is the highest strokes gained putting since the PGA Tour started tracking these stats in 2004.

That putting performance put him on the radar for the Ryder Cup and made him someone who could potentially be a scary matchup for the Europeans.

After the big win, Cantlay earned the nickname “Patty Ice,” and after making over 500 feet of putts, he deserves that name.

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He wouldn’t go down without a fight and made every single putt he needed to down the stretch to put the pressure on Bryson DeChambeau.

His performance was beyond clutch, and only when he won did he crack a smile. An unbothered assassin is a deadly weapon to have on the Ryder Cup team, and Cantlay proved he can handle high-pressure situations.

Even though DeChambeau and Cantlay had a couple of words, that got blown way out of proportion, these two would make for a great pairing as they seemed to feed off each other even though they were competing for the win.

DeChambeau’s length off the tee and Cantlay’s deadly putter could really help the Americans at the end of September. Even though length is a great thing to have, it’s by far more important to be an excellent putter and strong around the greens.

Another reason Cantlay is a scary opponent for the Ryder Cup is his scrambling ability. He ranks as the No.1 player in the PGA Tour in scrambling at 67.66% and that is a big advantage to have in match play situations.

Cantlay may not be the most vocal person or someone that many people thought could be a weapon for the Americans, but he found something on Sunday and if it continues the next month, watch out Europe, he could be the ace in the hole Team USA needs.

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