Reed’s controversial presence on US Presidents Cup team could prove costly after cheating claims
The Presidents Cup matches a team of top-rated American golfers against a team of international golfers, and while it may not be as big as the Ryder Cup, it’s an event players and fans look forward to on an every-other-year basis.
The 2019 competition is set to tee off at the Royal Melbourne Golf Club in Victoria, Australia, Thursday, and the event is likely to turn into a partisan one with Australian fans heavily backing the International team.
However, while much of the US team will be well-received by knowledgeable fans, American Patrick Reed is likely to hear quite a few boos, catcalls and epithets from the fans in attendance.
That’s because Reed was caught up in a cheating controversy at last week’s Hero World Challenge in the Bahamas. Reed broke one of golf’s major rules in that tournament when he took two practice swings in the bunker and moved sand away from his ball in the process. The practice swings allowed Reed to improve his lie, something that is forbidden while in the bunker.
This is a basic rule that even amateurs know well, and it is clearly ingrained on professional golfers. Reed was penalized two strokes for this broken rule, and he ended up losing to competitor Henrik Stenson by two strokes.
Despite the impropriety, Reed remains a part of the US team that is captained by Tiger Woods. This year’s Masters champions has talked with Reed about the incident.
“I think Pat is a great kid,”Woods said Tuesday, per the New York Post. “He’s handled a tough upbringing well, and I just think that he’s one of our best team players and is one of the reasons why all of the guys wanted him on the team.”
While Woods is backing his player, International captain Ernie Els said many players saw what Reed’s action and did not approve.
Cameron Smith, a member of the International team, called Reed a cheater and said he had no sympathy for him.
American players have a huge task in front of them as they confront international players while playing in hostile territory. It might be difficult enough for them to compete under normal circumstances, and those difficulties are likely to increase if Reed has to contend with obnoxious and unruly fans who want to make him uncomfortable as they root for their own team.
Perhaps Woods or Reed could have improved the US team’s chances if he had been drummed off or resigned from the team. That did not happen, and the American team will have to contend with the reaction of the International team and the Australian fans.
A cheating controversy also dogged Reed during his college career he was accused of foul play on the golf course and stealing at the University of Georgia. He was dismissed from the team in 2009, and has maintained that the accusations are not true.
