Patrick Reed Earns First Major As Golf Fans Root For Anyone Else
Patrick Reed must feed off adversity–or apathy. Even as Ryder Cup’s nicknamed Captain America, Reed attracted noticeably less fan enthusiasm than even Euro pairing partner Rory McIlroy. And, the cheers for Rickie Fowler’s birdie putt on 18 definitely drowned out the polite reserved applause for Reed’s Green Jacket winning par putt.
It felt more awkward than the epitome of awkwardness–The Butler Cabin Jacket Ceremony–a high bar indeed.
I for one find myself rooting for the Augusta State grad. I like his moxie, his take no prisoner mentality. His anti-golf-like bravado. The way he consistently rises to the occasion (usually amidst self-induced animosity and smack-talking) when seemingly only his wife and estranged family want Reed to do well (except Ryder Cup teammates every other year). However, I definitely was in his corner down the stretch yesterday–not because I’m that big a fan of him per se, but that I hate sports choking that much. And there were many opportunities on the remaining holes for Mr. Pink to implode as Rickie Fowler and Jordan Spieth made heroic runs.
It was a helluva leaderboard with Fowler, Spieth, Jon Rahm, Rory, Dustin Johnson and Bubba Watson having flashes of maybe moments.
Yet he won. Reed may not be your cup of tea, but he’s not the first successful golf “villain” many find easy to root against. Seve Ballesteros habitually stretched the limit of sportsmanship and stoic Ben Hogan was hardly a player easy to love.
Listen to what Hogan said about Arnold Palmer at Augusta.
SI.com’s Alan Shipnuck sat with Reeds’ family on Sunday. It was a surreal encounter as the family hasn’t talked or seen Patrick in over two years. It’s an enlightening read for those not familiar with the backstory.
Bill and Jeannette Reed and their daughter Hannah were not welcome at Augusta National. Patrick has made that much clear, the final twist of the knife in an estrangement that dates to 2012.
The Reeds lived and died with every shot on the back nine, hooting and hollering at the TV. When the final putt dropped, they clung to each other like survivors in a life raft. Struggling to catch her breath, tears streaming down her cheeks, Jeannette said, “I can’t believe my son is the Masters champion. It’s surreal.” It was a dizzying mix of pride and pain.
I asked Patrick in the champion’s press conference if it was bittersweet not to be able to share the most triumphant moment of his life with his parents and baby sister. “I’m just out here to play golf and try to win golf tournaments,” was his cold-blooded reply.
Still people can change. Tiger Woods is now embraced by most (including me) even though his sordid back history sullied a carefully crafted corporate persona. Maybe Patrick Reed is just one of those who loves a good fight but refrains from being too chummy with his peers. Maybe he likes being on an island. And while its always unfortunate when family members split, he’ll be the one to look back with either regret or no feelings at all.
