The Loop

Watch Joe LaCava hilariously rip off fan's hat while Tiger Woods was hitting a chip shot at the Match Play

World Golf Championships-Dell Technologies Match Play - Round Two

Warren Little

Before everything began to go Tiger Woods' way in his match against Patrick Cantlay on Friday at Austin Country Club, the 14-time major winner was facing some serious adversity. Woods, who led 1 up through four holes, suddenly found himself trailing 1 down at the eighth tee. He then made a mess of the par 5, badly pulling his second shot into the gallery left of the green and leaving himself with a difficult third shot.

Cantlay, meanwhile, was just left of the green also waiting to hit his third from a much better position than Woods. As Tiger prepared to hit his third, the gallery surrounded he and caddie Joe LaCava. As is the case any time Woods hits one off line, fans get as close as they possibly can to him while still allowing him to make a swing, creating a claustrophobic environment. Add in the fact that everyone wants to grab the same stupid video on their smart phone from five feet away and the scene can get a little hectic.

LaCava noticed this on Friday, and one fan in particular drew his ire. We're not sure what the fan was doing, but whatever it was, it was enough for Woods' longtime caddie to take action. Watch as Joey turns around and rips off the fan's hat in this video:

Pretty hilarious, if you ask us. For Joe LaCava, an eternal nice guy, to get this angry, you have to be really pissing him off. He's never going to be Steve Williams, Woods' former caddie who policed the gallery streets with the best of 'em, but that doesn't mean he still won't turn this car around every now and then, like the time he paid a heckler to leave a tournament. Enough was obviously enough, and the fan must have known that too. Look at this reaction:

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That's a "okay okay I'm sorry!" if I've ever seen one. Nice job by Joey, even though Woods eventually made par and lost this hole to go 2 down. But after this Woods' began his incredible stretch of winning six of the last eight holes to punch his ticket to the Round of 16. Was the hat grab the turning point? Something to think about.