Patrick Reed has launched a scathing attack on PGA Tour chiefs for penalising players who have joined LIV Golf. Reed, who has long cut a divisive figure in the sport, was one of the first players to resign his tour card in June 2022 and join the Saudi-backed venture.
LIV tournaments are not recognised by the Official Golf World Rankings, meaning a number of rebels have missed out on major tournaments.
Reed, 34, is able to play at the US Masters every year courtesy of his 2018 win at Augusta, but this season had missed both the US Open and Open Championship.
And in an interview with bunkered, the American has claimed that the status quo are maliciously costing top players the chance to compete in prestigious events. “I don’t know a single professional golfer in the world that doesn’t want to win a major, or doesn’t care about winning majors on any professional golf tour,” he said.
“Everyone in my circle has always cared about winning and competing in majors. The reason we all play this game is to win golf tournaments and to compete and win major championships against our peers, no matter what tour they play on or from.
“Depriving LIV golfers the opportunity to compete in majors simply because we do not play on the PGA Tour is not a good enough reason or acceptable to me. And insinuating or suggesting that LIV players do not care about majors as a way to justify or create an excuse as to what is actually going on in major championships is simply wrong and not true.”
Reed also suggested the PGA Tour were “out of touch” with professional players. However, sympathy for the three-time Ryder Cup player is likely to be in short supply, with his reputation stained by a series of rules incidents during his career.
However, the man dubbed ‘Captain America’ also claimed that the perception of his character is misleading. “Ralph Waldo Emerson once said, ‘To be great, is to be misunderstood,’” he continued. “And I often think I am greatly misunderstood.
“I have always heard that someone else’s opinion of me is none of my business. I like to keep things light because life is too short to let anyone rob you of your own happiness.”
In August 2022, Reed reportedly filed a defamation lawsuit against Brandel Chamblee and his employers, the Golf Channel. Reed claimed the reporter, and broadcaster, had deliberately misreported and falsified facts about him, prompting damage to his reputation and personal abuse.
However, the lawsuit was dismissed in a federal court. It was later concluded that Reed filed the lawsuit to stifle free speech, and he was ordered to pay the defendants’ legal fees and costs.