Fred Couples claims Rory McIlroy disrespected his own wife in Ryder Cup parking lot spat

Patrick Cantlay's superstar caddie, Joe LaCava, drew the ire of McIlroy and the European team on the 18th green on Saturday when he appeared to move closer to McIlroy while celebrating Cantlay's clutch birdie putt by waving his hat. The Northern Irishman was preparing himself for his own pressure putt to tie the match and took umbrage to LaClava's conduct.

McIlroy missed and lost his only match of the weekend.

Later, a video shared on social media showed McIlroy gesticulating wildly at another US caddy, Jim 'Bones' Mackay, while he and his wife Erica were about to get in their car.

While McIlroy reportedly apologised to Mackay the next day, Couples slammed the four-time major winner for his conduct.

"He was yelling at Bones, which is disrespectful with his wife standing a foot from him saying words that shouldn't be said," the American said on his SiriusXM PGA Tour Radio show.

"Now, I'm on Rory's side too because I love Rory McIlroy to death. But when you're incensed and you want to fight, you're going to say things. Is that disrespectful?"

On the 18th green incident, Couples went on to defend LaCava.

"I want someone to tell me where anything that happened is disrespectful," continued Couples.

"I didn't see it. Patrick screamed, which he doesn't do very often and he tipped his fake cap. We all were on the front of the green. No one moved. We just took our hats off and made little circles with our hats.

"It's the last match of the day. We're getting absolutely hammered. But what, did someone do a Justin Leonard, ran across the green? Patrick didn't.

"Rory, God bless, Rory, 'cause when he makes a putt in the Ryder Cup, he screams and yells 'vamos' and 'let's go' and all that. That's what you should do. Joe LaCava was standing [on the green]. I don't think he moved two feet."

READ MORE: Eddie Pepperell throws shade on Brooks Koepka following USA's Ryder Cup demise