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 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
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 I’m 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.
No joke, Tiger Woods did more damage to the game than anybody. Even before his personal life exploded, there was plenty to not like about Tiger and his fanbois were willing to overlook a lot. On the rare occasions that Tiger would attend PGA social functions, he would show up late, act alternately pissy and bored, and leave early. His fellow players thought it was better when he didn’t even show up.
He’s never respected his fellow players, he’s always rolled in like he owned the place and they were the hired help. Tiger acted like this in the early days before he had even won anything. He WAS a good golfer but his disrespect for the game and fellow golfers was always a problem. Now that his last major win was 10 years ago, he’s got nothing and it’s not like his fellow golfers are lining up to tell the world that he really is a good guy. When one of them does, it’s noteworthy because it’s so rare. Tom Watson had it right. After being caught on video cheating at the 2013 BMW Championship, getting a two-stroke penalty, and still arguing heatedly with PGA officials despite it BEING ON VIDEO, I’ve got no respect for Woods. Winning at golf is all he’s got. Now that he hasn’t done that in a decade, it’s obvious that he’s got nothing.
Georgia Alum, Bubba Watson first to congratulate him after the round......
That’s good. I don’t want to think of him as this kind of guy and I won’t until I see some proof of damning testimony from somebody VERY respectable. UGA teammates saw him cheat (allegedly). UGA teammates say that he ripped $400, a watch, and a putter. Notice that none of this requires a shred of proof, the stories are all years old and impossible to say one way or the other. What kind of idiot leaves $400 in cash and a watch laying around? Anybody wanna answer that?
Thanks for sharing...NOT!
“not supposed to move grass in your backswing . . . “
What about all those azaleas Rory Mcilroy killed blasting out of them ?
Evidence that he’s racist: He’s white and he beat Tiger Woods.
He should have knocked a few in the water to give Tiger a chance this year.
Headline on CBSSports.com : “2018 Masters scores: Tiger Woods turns in best performance on Sunday to close out Augusta return” After all, he did manage to tie for 32nd. He’s entitled.
If you knock the ball in the hole with the least amount of strokes over 72 holes at Augusta National the first week in April then you are a Masters Champion.
It don’t matter what your past is.
Congratulations Patrick Reed.
No, not at all.
that is why I carry a chain saw in my golf bag.
No, 5 years for PGA and US Open. Not sure of the British Open. Lifetime for the Masters.
until hes 65 for the british i think if he wins
The azaleas were not in a hazard, so it was not against the rules for McIlroy to hit them in his backswing.
The Azaleas want a rule change for next year.
Did the article say Reed plays checkers? lol
Funny how when some folks’ heroes don’t prevail, they find solace in harping on the past faults of those who conquered them.....
Alleged past faults !
And pretty flimsy allegations at that !
Incidents with no proof means what? Nobody comes close to T Woods and his affairs with 14 whores, the diseases he gave his wife, while his little kids sat in the background.
I was pulling for Jordan, but Reed was tough. I am stunned that this crap about Reed is being put out there.... Let the guy have his win. Maybe Reed is too Patriotic for our liberal sports news folks.
Twitter posts aren’t news.
Interesting article otherwise.
If you get a chance, read up on the 1968 Masters win by Bob Goalby over Roberto de Vicenzo. Weird things happen at the Masters....
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.