Posted on 04/08/2018 4:14:50 PM PDT by ethom
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 hed come by the money. Reed said hed 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 aboutit 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. Ill 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 Doesnt 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
Alan Shipnuck ✔ @AlanShipnuck 7 Apr This is getting silly.
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 Im all honesty Patrick Reed was kicked of the UGA team for cheating on multiple occasions and stealing from Teammates
9:24 AM - Apr 8, 2018 3 See Taylor's other Tweets Twitter Ads info and privacy
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.
Some of those putts on the back nine did NOT want to go down - but down they went anyway.
Even his putt on the last hole looked like it wanted to ring-slide past, but it didn't.
In any event, after Rickie Fowler, Jordan Spieth, and Rory McIlroy each made a serious run at him on Sunday, Reed kept his composure, played a solid round, and won a Major Championship.
I say, congratulations Patrick Reed.
No. It would have been improper for Reed to alter the position of the tree or any branch in a practice swing, but whatever happens in a swing outside a hazard area is OK.
If you are in a hazard, then you are not supposed to move grass in your backswing.
exactly, much easier to attack the trump supporters!
Patrick is a Patriot. Liberal lefties hate him. What a bunch of crap article.
Guy has big nards and is gonna be around for a long time.
He led his Augusta team to two national championships. That’s why the UGA dorks hate him.
The year Patrick Reed tried to earn his PGA tour card, he Monday qualified six times. This may be a record. He and his wife drove from tournament to tournament since they didnt have the money for flying. She stopped being his caddy when she had their first child. They have two now. I was hoping he would win. He is a proud American.
Unsurprisingly, Sports Joe is doing the same thing.
Patrick doesnt have to worry about driving anymore! 10 year exemption for a major I think...
Reed is no Captain America.
Yes he did. He showed a tremendous amount of grit throughout the day. He won that. Despite the fact I was pulling for Rory then Speith I cheered when Reed closed it out. A gutty performance.
I don’t think Grant was anything like the accusations against Reed. And they are mostly just that, accusations.
Reed got on the PGA tour a few years ago by being a Monday qualifier.
Nobody does that these days. But it’s an indication of his ability and confidence.
So in other words, Reed is about as likeable as Tiger Woods was before his personal life imploded. I don’t care if he wins.
IMG suckups and Tiger apologists/jock sniffers don’t like Reed? OK.
In #35, I should say “allegedly”. I don’t know if he did any of that stuff. That’s the word of a few people that have reason to not like him.
This BS is the same as those who will never get over Clinton losing to Trump. This anti-Reed garbage comes out as Wood’s comeback is a big fail.
I don’t know about all of this. I watched the tour today and the Green Jacket ceremony. I thought he carried it off with gentlemanly aplomb.
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