Patrick Reed Could Be Just What Golf Needs Despite Controversy

Just when Patrick Reed was beginning to move on from that self-inflicted top-five-player-in-the-world fiasco, he once again finds himself right smack in the middle of golf’s latest controversy.   

This time the controversy revolves around allegations made against Reed in an upcoming book, Slaying the Tiger: How Golf’s Young Guns Took Over the Sport, written by Shane Ryan.

An excerpt recently released from Ryan’s book, which is set to hit stores on May 26, accuses Reed of cheating, stealing and being uniformly despised by his college teammates.

Golf Channel’s Jason Sobel published a portion last Friday in which Reed’s University of Georgia teammates (Reed briefly attended the University of Georgia before transferring to Augusta State University) make some rather damning accusations against the four-time PGA Tour winner.

The excerpt reads as follows:  

"

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.

"

Golf Channel Digital also reported that Ryan’s book describes how Reed "would openly challenge others' talents upon meeting them and was so unpopular amongst his Augusta State teammates that they hoped he lost his match in the NCAA Championship final.”

Yikes.

Reed shot back against these accusations through a statement released to the Golf Channel earlier this week:  

"

The accusations that were made against me are serious and were intended to damage my reputation and character. They will not be taken lightly. My team and my representatives are looking into all aspects of this matter, and we look forward to setting the record straight.

For now, I’m staying focused on my life in the present and being the best husband, father and golfer I can be.

"

While the allegations Ryan has made against Reed are severe, this is certainly not the first time that Reed’s checkered past has been documented.

Just prior to the 2014 Masters, Ian O’Connor published an article on ESPN.com detailing Reed’s turbulent college career.

O’Connor opened his article with the following paragraph:

"

The last time Patrick Reed barreled into the hometown of the Masters and created a new-sheriff-in-Dodge kind of stir, the welcoming committee was not so welcoming. In the weeks after his arrival nearly five years ago, his teammates at Augusta State could hardly stand him, and his coach could not fathom a day when this transfer from the University of Georgia would be worth the trouble he was causing, times 10.

"

O’Connor’s article goes on to document Reed’s 2008 arrest at the University of Georgia for underage drinking and possession of a fraudulent ID.

O’Connor reported that “according to the Athens-Clarke County Superior Court case docket, Reed pleaded guilty to the misdemeanor and was put on probation, fined and sentenced to 60 hours of community service before he was discharged as a first offender.”

Reed transferred to Augusta State University after just one year at UGA.

UGA coach Chris Haack told O’Connor: "It wasn't a good fit for him [at UGA]. He needed a change of scenery, and it worked out best for the both of us."

It didn’t take long for Reed to live up to his infamous reputation upon arriving at Augusta State University that next fall.

Augusta State coach Josh Gregory suspended Reed for the first two events of the 2009-10 season for reasons that Gregory will still not make public.

O’Connor reported: “The Georgia coach, Chris Haack, had warned his Augusta State counterpart that Reed was something of a wild colt that needed to be tamed."

"Chris was very candid," said Gregory, via O’Connor. "He told me, 'You're going to have your hands full. Patrick can really play, but he needs constant monitoring.”

O’Connor goes on to describe how Reed was finally able to get things under control at Augusta State, where he eventually led the team to back-to-back NCAA titles.

"Did his teammates ever love him? Probably not," Gregory said, via O’Connor. "But slowly Patrick earned their respect back. And they knew there would've been no national championships without him."

Gregory’s statement about Reed likely rings true for many PGA Tour players and fans today.

You may not love Reed, but his play certainly demands at least some form of respect.

Reed is now one of just five golfers in the past 25 years to have won four or more PGA Tour events before the age of 25.

Reed was also the only American that did not lose a single match during the United States disastrous 2014 Ryder Cup loss at Gleneagles.

If you put away any pre-conceived notions you may have of Reed and simply look at his on-course play, he would have to be ranked second only to Rory McIlroy in terms of the top golfers under the age of 30. 

This bring us to another interesting dynamic that may be on the horizon for professional golf. McIlroy is clearly the hero of this next generation. His level of skill is second to none and one could probably use McIlroy as a living example of how professional athletes should deal with the fans and media.  

Reed, on the other hand has proven to be the anti-McIlroy, at least in terms of his bold, outspoken nature and the rocky road he travelled through the amateur and collegiate game. 

Whether Reed is causing a stir by proclaiming himself as one of the top five players in the world, using an expletive-laden gay slur to describe his putting stroke or appearing in headlines about harsh accusations made by his former college teammates, the one thing we have learned through the years is that Reed’s personality lands him in the news just as much as his golf game. 

If McIlroy is transitioning into the role of hero, perhaps Reed could play the part of the villain. Controversy tends to provide entertainment, particularly in the world of sports.  And, based on the television ratings and declining participation numbers, golf is in desperate need of a consistent form of entertainment. 

So, while Reed may not be happy his image at the moment A hero vs. villain scenario playing out over the next two decades could be exactly what the game needs to draw viewers into the post-Tiger era of the game.