Unsurprisingly, Social Media Shines Light on Masters Winner Patrick Reed's Chequered Past

Patrick Reed is not the most popular guy. He's no people's champion, either. Reed could win 10 majors during his career and never come close to being as loved as Arnold Palmer or Phil Mickelson.

To those who have followed the sport over the last five years, Reed's past transgressions aren't news.

Back in 2015, golf writer Shane Ryan published an excerpt from his book Slaying the Tiger: A Year Inside the Ropes on the New PGA Tour. In it, Ryan alleged that Reed cheated during a college golf team event. There were also accusations that Reed had stolen possessions from his teammates, including a watch, a wad of cash and a Scotty Cameron putter.

The excerpt from Ryan's book: “During a qualifying round prior to a tournament, according to sources, Reed hit a ball far into the rough. When he approached the spot, he found another ball sitting closer to the fairway, and was preparing to hit it when several of his teammates confronted him. Reed pled ignorance, but the other Georgia players were convinced he had been caught red-handed trying to cheat. That same fall, several items went missing from the Georgia locker room, including a watch, a Scotty Cameron putter, and $400 cash.

"When Reed showed up the next day with a large wad of cash, a teammate confronted him and asked how he’d come by the money. Reed said he’d played golf with a professor at the school and hustled him out of the cash. The player in question took this claim to the professor, who had no idea what he was talking about—it had been weeks since the man had played with Reed.”

Pretty juicy stuff. Reed denies that the aforementioned accusations were the reason he left UGA for Augusta State.

Beyond that, Reed has a notoriously fractured relationship with his family and, at times, has done little to endear himself to golf fans, including a particularly unsavoury incident when he called himself a "f**ing f***ot" after a three-putt at the WGC-HSBC Champions Event in November 2014.

He's always come across as brash and distant. His chest-pumping, shushing remonstrations towards European fans in the previous two Ryder Cups have certainly helped some quarters paint him as the pantomime villain.

Recently, Reed also rustled feathers among his fellow pros when, having been denied a free drop at a recent PGA Tour event, he said, “I guess my name needs to be Jordan Spieth, guys."

Now, Reed is winning The Masters, but it's fair to say he might not be the most warmly-received champion.

After his brilliant 67 on Saturday ensured he enters the final round with a three-shot cushion over Rory McIlroy, Twitter, rather unsurprisingly, made references to his coloured past.

Chris Davis @cdavis_63 If Patrick Reed wins the Masters I will never watch golf again. I will sell my golf clubs and never play again either. I’ll automatically hate the game for the rest of my life.

1:43 PM - Apr 6, 2018 318 159 people are talking about this Twitter Ads info and privacy

Bryan Ruef @RAISEtheRUEF I just want to be on the record saying this. I am absolutely fine with anyone winning the Masters other than that loose shirt wearing, dough boy lookin ass, stealing tigers red swag, phony Patrick Reed. God I hate that guy.

1:02 PM - Apr 6, 2018 219 83 people are talking about this Twitter Ads info and privacy

Riggs ✔ @RiggsBarstool Patrick Reed really trying to ruin this golf tournament for us.

3:42 PM - Apr 7, 2018 782 126 people are talking about this Twitter Ads info and privacy

Will Elliott @Will_Elliott22 Doesn’t shock me that Patrick Reed is stealing the show at The Masters; I mean he steals stuff all the time.

4:35 PM - Apr 7, 2018 · Tuscaloosa, AL 66 24 people are talking about this Twitter Ads info and privacy

Matty 'MC' One Putt @MattHolbrook86 I'd be so pleased if Patrick Reed is putting on a green jacket come Sunday.........said no-one ever.

4:26 PM - Apr 6, 2018 76 29 people are talking about this Twitter Ads info and privacy

Joshua OKeefe @JoshuaJOKeefe Would Patrick Reed be the first to NOT get invited to the Champions dinner

5:03 PM - Apr 7, 2018 44 22 people are talking about this Twitter Ads info and privacy

Gerry Callahan ✔ @GerryCallahan Spent the day rooting against Patrick Reed. What an awful day.

6:35 PM - Apr 7, 2018 115 50 people are talking about this Twitter Ads info and privacy

Taylor @Tator_Thott But I’m all honesty Patrick Reed was kicked of the UGA team for cheating on multiple occasions and stealing from Teammates

Rosemary E. Reehling @rosemaryeleanor Dottie just said...of Patrick Reed's shot..."that would have been stealing..." - I see what you did there, Dottie. Nice!

2:23 PM - Apr 7, 2018 2 See Rosemary E. Reehling's other Tweets Twitter Ads info and privacy Reed denying a Slam-chasing McIlroy would certainly be divisive. There can be no denying that he would be a worthy champion on the basis of his golf this week. Reed has been exceptional and it would be difficult to begrudge him his first major.

He may not win any popularity contests, sure, but isn't it a bit rich that, earlier this week, The Masters threatened to turn into a Tiger Woods love-in? It's interesting that golf fans will happily denounce Reed while they cheer on Woods, a man who has always been admired and celebrated, but not loved.

Reed has certainly produced enough quality to earn him that green jacket on Sunday evening but, make no mistake, the galleries will much rather see McIlroy or Rickie Fowler slipping into that coveted sports coat on the 18th green.

Of course, in the cut-throat, merciless world of Twitter, Reed's past was always going to be alluded to.

I hope Patrick Reed simply ignores the hate filled social media.

Personally, I like Rory Mc Ilory allot.

But, he was the one bragging at the close of round three, that he intended to intimidate the front runner, Patrick Reed, in the final round - it was already clear at that point that they’d be together in the final pairing in the final round.

Though the final round started with Mc Ilroy just two shots back from Reed, as it turned out, Reed remained stoic and unperturbed by a few early misses he had, while Mc Ilroy lost his control and couldn’t hold it together when one miss after another started to set is plans back. Mc Ilroy ended up tied for 5th place.

I hope Reed is laughing at all the haters.

it seems all of these liberal sports writers are quick to judge with no evidence when it suits them!

Shane Ryan is a prominent and respected writer for golf digest and is unlikely to slander a golfer without evidence.......

I find it ironic that you and others here call us "Tiger Fanboys" when you yourselves are now running defense for a cheater and a thief.........LOL

http://www.golf.com/tour-news/2018/04/08/masters-patrick-reed-brash-controversial-college-allegations

My complaint with Woods has more to do with the corrupting influence of IMG and the fact that Woods never really had to swing a club as a pro to be a wealthy man. I prefer my pros to earn their money BEFORE they get it.

I do agree with that. What happened to proving yourself over a good chunk of career before becoming Mr. Big? I was in college from 1995-2000 and my roommate was on the golf team. His father and grandfather were also big into golf, his whole family was. They hated how the media fawned all over Tiger Woods literally the day he went pro. Before he had won a single round it was all about him on ESPN and the other sports networks. (There’s some real shades of Ronda Rousey there, it just took Woods 12 years to crash instead of 2.)

The thing my roommate’s father taught him was respect for the game and your fellow players. He was big on that, “Golf is a game of respect.” Even in the 1990s it was well known that Tiger was the type who liked slamming clubs, cussing loud enough that people 50 yards away could hear it, and being a jerk in the clubhouse to guys with successful 20+ year careers.

I saw the same thing with NASCAR at right about the same time. Jeff Gordon put me off NASCAR as much as Tiger Woods put me off golf. I consider it a good thing. I’ve been a lot more for local college club teams then pro sports for over 20 years now.

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