Tour News

Patrick Cantlay’s long, hard road to returning to the Tour this week

Published

9 years ago

Feb 8, 2017

Once the top-ranked amateur in the world and a winner on the Web.com Tour, Patrick Cantlay hasn’t teed it up on the PGA Tour since 2014. The saga of the back injury that kept him out of action is depressing and unfortunate enough on its own right. But if you recall, the worst of what befell the former winner during his time in the wilderness has nothing to do with his back.

Cantlay’s caddie and friend, Chris Roth, was struck by a car and killed directly in front of the golfer last year in California. Cantlay had to call 911, knowing his friend had no chance of survival.

“It still bothers me every day,” Cantlay said. “It changes the way that you see things for a while. Maybe not forever, you get numb to it. For a while, I couldn’t care less about everything. Not just golf. Everything that happened in my life for a couple months didn’t feel important. Nothing felt like it mattered.”

To say it’s been a long road back to competition for Cantlay would be an extreme understatement. He returns to action at Pebble Beach this week, and Damian Dottore of the OC Register has filed a superb piece on the former amatuer sensation’s return that’s well worth your time.

You’ll be rooting for the former UCLA star hard this week. Here’s Dottore’s piece.

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Ben Alberstadt

Ben Alberstadt is the Editor-in-Chief at GolfWRX, where he’s led editorial direction and gear coverage since 2018. He first joined the site as a freelance writer in 2012 after years spent working in pro shops and bag rooms at both public and private golf courses, experiences that laid the foundation for his deep knowledge of equipment and all facets of this maddening game. Based in Philadelphia, Ben’s byline has also appeared on PGATour.com, Bleacher Report...and across numerous PGA DFS and fantasy golf platforms. Off the course, Ben is a committed cat rescuer and, of course, a passionate Philadelphia sports fan. Follow him on Instagram @benalberstadt.

4 Comments

Messico 9

Feb 10, 2017 at 5:49 pm

Guess we gotta take his word that he saw it….
The other guy that was there died

Reply Report comment
golfraven

Feb 8, 2017 at 3:13 pm

Heck, some heavy stuff to coap with. Looking forward to see how we will get back to top golf.

Reply Report comment
Double Mocha Man

Feb 8, 2017 at 2:36 pm

Sounds like a great kid… I will be looking for and cheering him on. Not just his back but his caddie’s death are both tough hurdles to overcome. With respect to his caddie and friend, he has to move on, regain an interest in golf (and other things) and realize that is what Chris Roth would want him to do. Go Patrick!

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Deadeye

Feb 8, 2017 at 12:24 pm

Looking forward to seeing Patrick back on tour. A superb player that can be a major winner. I wish him luck.

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Tour Photo Galleries

Photos from the 2026 Memorial Tournament

Published

18 hours ago

Jun 1, 2026

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GolfWRX is on site this week at the Memorial Tournament, with both Alistair Cameron and Tour Photographer Greg Moore on the ground in Dublin, Ohio, where a strong field is assembled to pay homage to the Golden Bear.

In addition to WITB galleries, we’ve already been treated to an in-hand look at Tommy Fleetwood’s new TaylorMade Spider putters.

Check out links to all our photos below.

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Published

5 days ago

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GolfWRX Tour Photographer Greg Moore was on site in Galloway, New Jersey, ahead of the ShopRite LPGA powered by Wakefern to snap some WITB photos and more.

Check out links to all the photos below!

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Photos from the 2026 Charles Schwab Challenge

Published

1 week ago

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The famed Colonial Country Club in Fort Worth, Texas, is the scene this week for the Charles Schwab Challenge, where Ludvig Aberg enters the week as the tournament favorite.

Tour Photographer Greg Moore and our traveling equipment insider, Alistair Cameron, are both on site this week in the Lone Star State. Thus far, we’ve been treated to an in-hand look at TaylorMade’s new ZT Max putter, as well as a bounty of WITBs.

Check out links to all our photos below.