Patrick Cantlay carded a 1-over 71 in the final round of the Tour Championship to finish as joint runner-up on Sunday, but the American came under scrutiny for slow play
Patrick Cantlay has faced criticism for his slow play(Image: 2025 Andrew J. Clark/ISI Photos)
Phil Mickelson decided to take aim at Patrick Cantlay over his slow play after the PGA Tour star got trolled on social media.
The veteran golfer joked he shuffled in his feet 26 times per shot, and sarcastically claimed it was clear proof of his peak physical fitness. Cantlay carded a 1-over 71 in the final round of the Tour Championship on Sunday, finishing as joint runner-up alongside Russell Henley as Brit star Tommy Fleetwood took the title.
Despite playing some truly exceptional golf over the course of the week, however, fans instead ridiculed the 33-year-old for how much time it was taking him to take a shot, with one broadcaster joking that you could see the grass grow beneath his feet.
Adding to the hilarious swipes taken at Cantlay was Mickelson, who took to X to take a dig, saying: “He shuffled his right foot 26 times, 26 TIMES before he hit it.
“26 x 36 other shots is 936 foot shuffles.
“That’s more calf raises than I’ll ever do.
“You also must be in peak physical condition to do this daily, so let’s stop all the hate and appreciate that golfers are athletes.”
Phil Mickelson is no longer part of the PGA Tour(Image: Getty)
This isn’t the first time Cantlay has been criticized for his slow play, with the issue being a poignant point of contention amongst experts who have called for the speeding up of the game to maintain fan interest.
The eight-time PGA Tour champion once admitted to taking more time than other players in an interview with Golf Magazine a few years ago.
He explained: “I definitely take my time, and when I hit my ball on a bulkhead, I’m definitely going to take my time to make sure I make the right decision and try to get the ball back into the right spot.”
He also explained that slow play is not a stain on his own performance, but that of the difficulty of the Tour, claiming that tricky situations should require more time to think.
Cantlay remarked: “If you really wanted to make guys play faster, you would put the tees up and you would put easier hole locations and the greens would roll at 10 if you really wanted it to, and you hope it never blew more than 10 miles an hour.”
Those critical of Cantlay’s slow play will not get the opportunity to see him play for a little while because he has wrapped up his PGA Tour season — unless he is selected to represent Team USA for the Ryder Cup in September.
He enjoyed a positive 2025 as a whole, missing just three cuts in 19 starts and posting an impressive five top 10 finishes.
