Patrick Cantlay humbled by Tiger Woods’ reply after visit to golf legend’s basement

Patrick Cantlay, set to tee off with Tiger Woods and Xander Schauffele at The 152nd Open at Royal Troon, recently shared a humbling experience from a visit to Woods’ home. Cantlay, who has had notable performances this season, including top-five finishes at the Travelers Championship and the US Open, recounted his awe at the scale of Woods’ achievements.

Following his Player of the Year award win in 2021, Cantlay visited Woods’ home to discuss the Ryder Cup. Recalling the visit to Golf Magazine, Cantlay said, “I went over to Tiger’s house after I won Player of the Year. It felt like a big deal to me at the time, having received this little Jack Nicklaus bronze trophy.”

While touring Woods’ basement, Cantlay was struck by the sight of 11 Player of the Year trophies lined up. “So we’re walking through Tiger’s house, and we’re in the basement, and he’s got like, 11 of them lined up right next to each other—all in the corner of the basement—boom, boom, boom,” Cantlay described.

Trying to lighten the moment, Cantlay quipped, “Hey, I’m catching up,” to which Woods responded bluntly, “You got a lot of work to do.”

Woods, a golf legend with 15 major wins, first won the PGA Player of the Year title in 1997 after his iconic Masters victory. He has since amassed 15 major titles, including five Masters, four PGA Championships, three US Opens, and three Open Championships. However, Royal Troon remains one of the few courses where Woods has yet to secure a win, with his best performance being a T9 finish in 2004.

Cantlay, who has victories at the 2017 Shriners Hospitals for Children Open and the 2021 BMW Championship, is still searching for his first major triumph. His best finish at The Open was T8 at St Andrews two years ago, where he finished with a score of -12, matching Bryson DeChambeau and Jordan Spieth. Cameron Smith won that year with a score of -20.

Cantlay’s best major performance to date was at the 2019 PGA Championship, where he finished T3 alongside Matt Wallace and Spieth with a score of -3. As Cantlay prepares for The 152nd Open, the memory of Woods’ words serves as a reminder of the work ahead to reach the heights of his legendary compatriot.