TG_342_PREVIEW

PATRICK REED
It’s good to be
BAD
US superstar Patrick Reed doesn’t care
whether you love him – or hate him
WORDS GARRETT JOHNSTON PICTURES GETTY IMAGES
want people to know who I am,” says Patrick
I Reed. He shouldn’t have too many concerns on
that front. The 25-year-old from San Antonio, Texas,
only turned pro four years ago, but his short career has
already made countless headlines, cementing his role as
golf’s biggest bad boy.
He’s been accused of cheating in college events and
stealing from fellow students. He was expelled from his first
college after two arrests for underage drinking, forced to
apologise after directing a profanity-laced homophobic slur
at himself following a three-putt during a PGA Tour event in
Shanghai, and became the pantomime villain at Gleneagles
after repeatedly antagonising the home fans.
But, of course, those headlines don’t tell the full story, and
Reed’s on-course performances are reason enough for
people to know his name. After making his PGA Tour debut
in 2011, Reed secured starts in 12 events during 2012,
mainly through the incredibly competitive Monday prequalifying.
Having earned those spots, he proved he
warranted them, making seven cuts and taking home over
$300,000. At the end of that season, he went through every
round of Q School to secure a PGA Tour card for 2013, when
he would win his first title – the Wyndham Championship in
a play-off against a little-known fellow Texan going by the
name of Jordan Spieth.
2014 saw two more wins – the WGC-Cadillac
Championship, where Reed beat Bubba Watson and Jamie
Donaldson by one shot – and a dominant performance at
the Humana Challenge, where Reed set a PGA Tour record
for most strokes under par through 54 holes. Three rounds
of 63 saw him 27-under-par on Saturday evening. Those
victories made Reed only the fifth golfer to earn three PGA
Tour wins before his 24th birthday, joining Tiger Woods, Phil
Mickelson, Rory McIlroy and Sergio Garcia. You can since
add Jordan Spieth’s name to that list, of course.
But Reed is not content being a footnote amongst big
names. He has a burning desire to be the main man, and
anyone who stands in his way should be prepared for one
hell of a fight.
We caught up with him after the third-round of the BMW
Championship. While most of us would be pretty content
having signed for a 69, Reed went straight to the range for
45 minutes honing his game. Satisfied with his work, he was
in relaxed but focused mood as he chatted about everything
from beating Spieth, past controversies, Ryder Cups, and
mac and cheese… ➔
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