Cantlay’s pre-shot routine is driving everyone crazy.
PublishedAugust 26, 2025 9:45 AM EDT•UpdatedAugust 26, 2025 9:45 AM EDT
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Patrick Cantlay’s pace of play, specifically his pre-shot routine, caught everyone’s attention during Sunday’s final round of the Tour Championship, including Phil Mickelson’s.
Cantlay, who was paired with eventual winner Tommy Fleetwood on Sunday, has never been considered to be among the fastest of players by any means. Throughout his career, Cantlay has had a unique pre-shot routine in which he shuffles his feet a number of different times before ultimately pulling the trigger when he feels comfortable.
The Cantlay shuffle appeared to add a few extra steps during the Tour Championship, especially on the teeboxes, which led golf fans on social media to come after the American.
It was Cantlay’s pre-shot routine on the drivable Par 4 8th hole that really set everyone off. It didn’t help his cause that he pushed his tee shot on the 8th way, way right.
The Cantlay-Fleetwood final group fell two holes behind the group ahead of them in quick fashion, and was ultimately given a time warning later on in the round. In their defense, they played their opening nine holes in two hours and five minutes, which is slow, but a pretty standard pace on the PGA Tour.
Nevertheless, watching over four hours of Cantlay shuffling over the golf ball took its toll.
With the entire golf world seemingly taking shots at Cantlay with plenty of clips going viral on social media, Mickelson decided to get in on the fun in typical fashion. He made fun of Cantlay’s shuffles and waggles, but kept it lighthearted by the end of his comment.
“He shuffled his right foot 26 times. 26 TIMES before he hit it. 26 x 36 other shots is 936 foot shuffles,” Mickelson wrote on X about a video showing Cantlay’s pre-shot routine. “That’s more calf raises than I’ll ever do. You also must be in peak physical condition to do this daily, so let’s stop all the hate and appreciate that golfers are athletes.”
Cantlay is likely to make the U.S. Ryder Cup team as a captain’s pick, and while the crowd at Bethpage Black in New York will be on his side as a whole, it’s fair to assume they won’t remain patient if things turn sour for the Americans early on.
