Winning the FedEx Cup Plus More
ESPN entitled its coverage of his latest victory like this: Patrick Cantlay posts ‘a huge win,’ capturing FedEx Cup in dramatic fashion at the Tour Championship. Yes, in bold print!!
You cannot doubt that Patrick Cantlay has been on a run of late.
- FedEx Cup ranked 1st
- Ryder Cup slot with latest victory
- Tour Championship win
- BMW Championship win
- Memorial Tournament (Nationwide) win
Aside from everything else that has been going on in the golf world to take away our attention from solid, consistent play, let’s say that 2021 has shaped up to be a banner year for Patrick Cantlay. He’s got more top PGA wins this year than any year of his career. He’s making a name for himself as he delivers time and time again, even in playoff situations.
What’s Next for Cantlay to Conquer?
Next up has got to be a major championship. Cantlay has not won one yet. And that seems to remain a point of contention for many observers without Cantlay having to say much about it himself.
Patrick Cantlay has a record in the majors that no one but the golf press really would write home about. Missing the cut at 2 majors stands out. Not even ranking for a top 10 position in any 2021 major stands out as well. In fact, He ended up tied for 15th place at the U.S. Open. His best performance in a major event left him tied for third at the 2019 PGA Championship. With dismal numbers like that, it’s hard to imagine Patrick Cantlay bringing home some PGA major event hardware home any time soon.
Kyle Porter just dropped an article on CBS Sports regarding Cantlay and his failure to win a major. In Porter’s own words, he was sure to say: “This is not a criticism of Cantlay’s game.” However, no matter how you question it or pose it as a wondering, even an inquisitive inquiry, it boils down to the inability of Cantlay to claim a victory in any of the 4 major championships.
The Future Odds on Cantlay
Despite his latest victories, Cantlay is not a favored pick for a major with some oddsmakers. It’s a toss-up when you consider his past record in majors and his recent victories on the PGA Tour.
Golfodds.com has names like Dustin Johnson (16/1) and Jon Rahm (10/1) ahead of Cantlay at 20-to-1 odds of winning the 2022 Masters. Vegas Insider has Rory McIlroy as a top pick for the 2022 PGA Championship with Cantlay somewhere in the midst of the fray behind Brooks and Xander. The Sports Geek points out: “Patrick Cantlay is a +550 betting favorite at BetMGM to win a golf major in 2022.”
But did fantasy golf experts have Cantlay on their top picks for this one? Do oddsmakers have the final say through the final round? Or, are all of these predictions just throwing caution at the wind when we just have to have it played out in reality?
Fan favorite or not, Cantlay has a bright future ahead of him if he stays on this type of streak. His putting is spot on and he’s seemingly directing the ball at the right angles for the perfect setup shots. Most fans would hope for him to keep marking pars and birdies on the scorecard on the way to more victories. Yet, if 2022 comes without a major championship win for him, we’re left to wonder where does that leave Cantlay in the golf history books.
Will a major championship make that big of a difference?
I’ll get back to playing in a week or so. Nagging wrist injury from applying for jobs online. LOL
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