Rory McIlroy reveals Tiger Woods’ messages amid Ryder Cup beef

Tiger Woods made numerous attempts to reach out to Rory McIlroy following their spat at the Ryder Cup, as per an exclusive report from the Irish Independent.

McIlroy, one of the leaders of Europe’s victorious 2023 Ryder Cup team, was visibly enraged on Saturday evening, with cameras capturing his outburst in the parking lot after his round.

His anger stemmed from Joe LaCava’s celebrations. LaCava’s player, Patrick Cantlay, made a 43-foot birdie putt on the 18th hole, securing a win for the Americans. LaCava taunted the European crowd by repeatedly waving his hat, leading to McIlroy’s frustration. The incident escalated due to Cantlay’s refusal to wear a hat at the Ryder Cup as a stance against the PGA of America’s player compensation program.

LaCava, in response, attempted to provoke the European fans.

However, the European team felt LaCava overstepped when he celebrated too close to McIlroy’s putting line, causing further irritation when McIlroy missed the subsequent putt.

“I went back to my room, and there was a text from Joe LaCava: ‘Hey Rory, would love to meet up in the morning to clear the air.’ But I was tired and didn’t get back to him,” McIlroy revealed.

“There were also three texts and two missed calls from Tiger, because they’re obviously still close.

“I sent him a quick message: ‘It will be fine… Long day… just want to go to bed.’

Whether McIlroy and Woods discussed this situation in greater depth is unknown.

Nevertheless, McIlroy and LaCava managed to put their Ryder Cup dispute to rest on Sunday after the competition ended, as they shared a pint following Europe’s resounding victory.

Jack Milko is a golf staff writer for SB Nation’s Playing Through. You can follow him on Twitter @jack_milko for more golf coverage. Be sure to check out @_PlayingThrough too.