GUIDONIA MONTECELIO, Italy -- Rory McIlroy denied a report that he met with American caddie Joe LaCava at the Ryder Cup to clear the air Sunday, one day after their disagreement on the 18th green spilled into a parking lot at Marco Simone Golf Club.
McIlroy did say after Europe's 16½-11½ Ryder Cup win that he had been in contact with LaCava, who caddies for Patrick Cantlay, via text message.
"We haven't seen each other face-to-face, but we've text and everything will be fine," McIlroy said. "But it's a point of contention and it still hurts, but time is a great healer and we'll all move on."
NBC Sports had reported that McIlroy and LaCava met before Sunday's singles matches, which the European star and world No. 2 disputed, telling an NBC Sports reporter, "I haven't met Joe," after defeating Sam Burns 3 and 1.
When the reporter asked whether there was no clear-up of what took place Saturday, McIlroy repeated himself.
"I was focused. I was very focused," McIlroy said Sunday. "I let it fuel me. I didn't let it take away from what's been a fantastic week. I used that little incident last night to my advantage."
NBC Sports had reported that LaCava wrote, "Love you guys, I have nothing but respect," in a text to someone on McIlroy's team Saturday night.
McIlroy said the entire European team was using the incident as motivation.
"It was a bit of a deflating finish last night," he said. "But I think what transpired on that last green, it all gave us a little bit of a fire in our bellies to try and get the job done today."
McIlroy became upset Saturday because LaCava was standing in his putting line and wouldn't move. LaCava was waving his hat while celebrating Cantlay's 43-foot birdie putt on the 18th hole. Cantlay had three straight birdies to help defeat McIlroy and England's Matt Fitzpatrick 1 up in the final four-ball (best ball) match.
TV cameras later captured Ireland's Shane Lowry pushing McIlroy into a car while he shouted at someone in the parking lot. Caddie Jim "Bones" Mackay was standing close by. McIlroy shouted: "This can't happen. This can't happen. It's a f---ing disgrace." Mackay is American player Justin Thomas' caddie.
McIlroy said he also texted with Mackay on Sunday.
"I text Bones this morning. He was the first American I saw after I got out of the locker room, so he was the one that took the brunt of it," McIlroy said. "He was just in the wrong place at the wrong time. I text Bones this morning and apologized for that."
A British media report Saturday suggested that the U.S. team was fractured and that Cantlay was one of the reasons because of his displeasure with American players not being paid to compete in the Ryder Cup. The report said Cantlay wasn't wearing a team-issued hat in protest, which he denied.
Many European fans mocked Cantlay during Saturday afternoon's match by waving their hats at him. After Cantlay made the final putt, he pretended to tip a hat to the crowd. Other American players, caddies and team members waved their hats to European fans as well.
