Patrick Cantlay has not won on the PGA Tour since August 2022 but he remains one of the world’s best players, having reached the No.1 spot in the world rankings last year

Patrick Cantlay is said to have denied a 5-year-old fan an autograph at the RBC Heritage (Image: Getty Images)

PGA Tour star Patrick Cantlay has left fans in shock after reportedly refusing to sign an autograph for a five-year-old fan.

Cantlay, finished tied-36th place at last week’s Masters after shooting two-over as Rory McIlroy finally claimed victory at Augusta National, completing the career grand slam. Cantlay entered this week’s RBC Heritage as the favorite with McIlroy absent.

But his bid for glory has been disrupted by an incident during the practice day. According to a spectator at Harbour Golf Town Links, Cantlay rejected a young fan’s autograph request as he moved from the range to the course. One disgruntled fan took to X to vent: “Practice round at RBC and 5-year-old asked for Patrick Cantlay autograph and he said no and walked away.

“It’s a freaking practice round and he’s walking away from the range. Keep in mind, Xander, A. Scott, and SW Kim signed everything ON the course.”

The post about Cantlay quickly went viral, prompting the user to delete the original post and write: “I deleted a post from yesterday regarding a certain PGA Professional. It wasn’t my intention for it to receive the attention that it did. I was merely making an observation and it took off.”

While some fans defended Cantlay’s right to decline autographs ahead of a crucial tournament, others were livid at the 33-year-old American’s actions, arguing that he could have easily accommodated the request on a practice day. “He would have made that kids’ day and given him a better memory of him for life,” one fan expressed. Another vented: “This makes me so pissed!!!”

“Cantlay knew it was a waste of time for both of them. He’s actually a good role model in this case,” another supporter reasoned. A different fan speculated: “That 5-year-old probably thought he was Scottie Scheffler.” On a lighter note, one fan poked fun at Cantlay’s notoriously slow pace, joking: “It would take him 10 Minutes to sign it.”

Cantlay is looking for his first PGA Tour win since 2022 ( Image: Getty Images)

Cantlay is currently in the mix at the RBC Heritage, tied-13th with a six-under score halfway through the event, while Justin Thomas is leading at 12-under. Come Sunday, Cantlay will be aiming to extend his impressive run of three consecutive top-three finishes at this tournament.

Having not clinched a PGA Tour win since his triumph at the BMW Championship in August 2022, and with only two top-10 finishes this season, Cantlay’s eagerness to perfect his game rather than pausing for autographs could be seen as a sign of his dedication to returning to winning ways.