Looking at the two teams that competed at the Ryder Cup this year, it seems obvious to onlookers that the European group was a more united one that than the Americans.
Team Europe certainly looked like a close-knit side, ferociously cheering each other on throughout all three days. In contrast, the USA were far more reserved and did not look to be all pulling in the same direction. Playing away from home likely didn't help in that regard, but some of the reports coming out about members of the team pointed towards a possible divide.
The most notable one involved Patrick Cantlay, who reportedly refused to wear a Team USA hat in protest at the lack of financial compensation for players. This is something that the 31-year old denies, saying he could not find a hat that fit him.
As it turns out, he was not the only one on the American side that was unhappy with some of the conditions.
Xander Schauffele was almost booted off USA Ryder Cup team
Xander Schauffele was among the American players that did not wear a hat on Sunday in a show of support to Cantlay.
Apparently, he was also unhappy with some aspects of what was being asked of the Ryder Cup players. In fact, he even came close to being kicked off the American team altogether despite being an automatic qualifier.
Speaking to The Times, Xander Schauffele's father revealed that his son looked set to miss the event as recently as a few weeks ago. It seemed the issue stemmed from a Netflix documentary being filmed in Rome, something which resulted in a contractual dispute.
Stefan Schauffele said that both his son and Patrick Cantlay had requested a player participation and benefit agreement, and after this was sent across in July, they requested for three changes to be made to it. That included camera access to the USA team room, something the players would not benefit financially from. This was ultimately revoked after Zach Johnson held a team vote.
Had this not been resolved, which it was not until September 2nd, Schauffele would not have been on the team. As his father put it:
It was very late in the schedule right before the team came here [to Rome] to practice because they had moved the deadline and they said, ‘If you don’t sign it by then, you’re off the team’, but they never gave us the contact information of their legal counsel.
Saturday morning of Labour Day weekend [September 2], finally, the head of the PGA of America got wind of this, because it was not him that was blocking it, and put our lawyers in contact with the PGA of America’s general counsel, and then it took a few hours to hash it out and it was fine.
Then I received a message that Xander was back on the team. That you can quote. That’s the extent of this and I think it’s shameful.
Stefan Schauffele pointed out that he was not speaking on behalf of his son, but his comments would certainly point towards plenty of dysfunction on the American side in the buildup to the event. You can read the article in full here.
Both Xander Schauffele and Patrick Cantlay were absent from a USA team scouting mission to the Marco Simone Golf & Country Club, something that took place a week after the agreement was finally reached. Jordan Spieth was the only other player to miss it, with his wife giving birth to the couple's second child a few days after the team departed.
It seems that all was not well in the American camp, something that perhaps contributed to their slow start and eventual defeat in this year's Ryder Cup.
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