Patrick Cantlay No Longer Has a Hat Sponsor

The man who inspired endless chatter about headwear at the 2023 Ryder Cup no longer has a sponsor for his cap. 

According to a report in The New York Times DealBook, Goldman Sachs has chosen not to renew its endorsement contract with the former FedEx Cup champion. 

Cantlay has worn the Goldman Sachs name on his hat for four years as part of an agreement to build brand awareness for the bank’s online consumer banking service called Marcus. But now, Goldman is redirecting its marketing focus. 

“We constantly evaluate the firm’s partnerships, and at this time, our logo will no longer appear on his hat,” a Goldman Sachs spokesman told DealBook. 

Cantlay will still be involved with the bank, according to the report. He may appear at Goldman Sachs events and he is in close contact with board member Mark Flaherty, who also sits on the PGA Tour’s board. Cantlay was recently reappointed as Player Director on the PGA Tour’s policy board.

Goldman Sachs has chosen not to renew its contract with Cantlay after a four-year long partnership. 

Kyle Terada/USA TODAY Sports

It remains to be seen whether Cantlay will find a new hat sponsor to replace Goldman or simply go hatless, as he did at the Ryder Cup. 

The decision caused a stir at the biennial competition, as a report circled that Cantlay was protesting the lack of compensation for players by not wearing the USA uniform hats. Dubbed “HatGate,” the controversy sparked an animated reaction from the European crowd. Fans waved their hats at Cantlay as he walked down the fairways in Rome, and things escalated when Joe LaCava, Cantlay’s caddie, waved his own hat in Rory McIlroy’s face after his player made a clutch putt to win their match on the 18th hole. 

Cantlay denied the rumors, explaining that the U.S. team hats simply didn’t fit his head, but the conversation surrounding pay-for-play issues in professional golf didn’t go away. 

The eight-time PGA Tour winner was slated to play in Tiger Woods’s event, the Hero World Challenge, from Nov. 30–Dec. 3, but he recently withdrew from the limited field tournament. He is expected to make his next competitive start in 2024.