AUGUSTA — Patrick Cantlay’s big breakthrough moment came last fall when he won the Tour Championship at East Lake Golf Club.
But other than the vintage Coca-Cola machine that goes to the winner – Cantlay has it in his home gymnasium – his life is basically the same. Except there’s a $15 million check in his account and a FedEx Cup and PGA Tour Player of the Year trophies in a display case.
“Other than that, life has not changed too much,” he said. “I still wake up every day and I’m trying to be the best person I can and trying to golf as best I can, and that occupies a lot of my brain space. That’s how it was before last year, as well.”
Cantlay, currently ranked No. 5 in the world, is one of the players to watch this week at the Masters. The lean California kid has shown the sort of consistency it takes become annual contender at Augusta National. His putting skills – he ranks third on Tour in putting average – and has made it a point to pay attention to the subtle changes that are regularly made at Augusta National. He took notes when he made a visit to the course in March.
“I spent a little extra time on the greens that were new,” he said. “I think this place, with the changes that they do every year, unlike some others, you can’t really putt from memory. You have to keep updating your memory because the green, for example, on 18 is different than it was three or four years ago.
“Just knowing that, you have to maybe be a little more cognizant and not just go to default of what you remember.”
His history at the tournament has some good memories. He was the low amateur here in 2012 when he was world’s No. 1-ranked amateur. But he has missed the cut twice and was among the pack who had a chance when Tiger Woods won the Masters in 2019. Cantlay went 64-68 on weekend and had the lead after an eagle on the 15th hole. Bogeys on the 16th and 17th dropped him into a tie for ninth, three shots behind Woods.
Cantlay said he prefers to think about the good memories created at Augusta National and the experience he’s gained here.
“I don’t think past successes make it more difficult in the future,” he said. “I think it makes it easier. I think being able to draw on those past experiences and being able to perform on big stages only bodes well for big stages in the future.
“So I try to remind myself of the good things I’ve done and when I do get in those moments, keep bringing up those – the past experiences of what it felt like. I think having a cache of experiences like that only helps bring you forward.”
VegasInsider.com ranks Cantlay as plus-2300 to win the Masters. Jon Rahm is listed as the favorite at plus-1300.
It’s certainly the one that he most wants to win. He grew up watching it with his family.
“My family is a golfing family, so we would get together with my grandparents and watch the Masters every year when was little,” he said. “I don’t have one specific memory, but I can definitely remember we would get together and watch the Masters.”
And a green jacket might even be nicer to have than a vintage Coke machine.
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