Much of the Hatred for Patrick Reed is Self-Induced

Patrick Reed often feels slighted regarding his accomplishments in the world of golf. What Reed needs to realize is that some of his wounds are self-inflicted.

The latest example came just this week when United States Ryder Cup captain Steve Stricker announced his captain’s picks for the 2021 event. Despite his 7-3-2 record in three previous Ryder Cups, Reed was not among the six selections.

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Stricker would not say why Reed was not selected, only that it was a very tough decision to leave him off the team. But the reasons for Reed’s absence are well-documented.

While at the University of Georgia, Reed was accused of cheating and stealing from teammates. He was ultimately dismissed from the team after one year.

Reed transferred to Augusta State, where he lead his team to a pair of NCAA titles. But more cheating accusations surfaced during his time there.

Once he turned professional, Reed continued to alienate others. After earning his third PGA Tour win, at the 2014 WGC-Cadillac Championship, he proclaimed himself a top-five player in the world. This despite the fact that he actually ranked 44th at the time.

Reed continued to fuel the fire with his incidents in 2018. That year, at the Ryder Cup, Reed seemed to throw U.S. captain Jim Furyk under the bus for not playing him in every session. There was also a dust up about the fact that Reed and Jordan Spieth did not play together after the pair had success in 2016.

But perhaps one of the most blatantly obvious incidents happened at the 2019 Hero World Golf Challenge.

Everyone remembers what happened. Reed hit his ball into a bunker with a not-so-great lie. The television replays clearly show Reed, on a practice swing, clearing sand from behind his ball.

This was clearly a violation of the rules, and it was there for the whole world to see. In front of a worldwide television audience, Reed both improved his lie and grounded his club in a sand trap. He would go on to win the unofficial event despite the controversy.

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Then there was this week, when Stricker did not select Reed for the 2021 Ryder Cup. Almost immediately, Reed, or the person running his Twitter account, “liked” several posts that criticized Stricker’s choices. Considering there is still a chance that Brooks Koepka is forced to pull out with an injury, this was probably not the best strategy.

It’s obvious that Reed is not well-liked on tour or by golf fans around the world. He often plays the victim but, if he would take a step back, Reed might realize that many of the incidents for which he is disliked are self-induced.

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