Patrick Reed’s 2025 season has been a roller coaster on the course, but off the course, it’s worse than missing a putt.
The LIV Golf pro carded rounds of 70, 66, 71 and 70, finishing 11-under par during the International Series Philippines last week. But, more than his swings, it was his frustration against the media that spoke louder during the event.
“My kids have been bullied at school, so that’s where it’s uncalled for,” Reed told AFP as quoted. “When they all of a sudden look at your children and say stuff about them, it’s like you don’t even know my children, and why would you even bring kids into it?”
For a man once dubbed “Captain America” for his astonishing Ryder Cup performance and passion, Reed broke down on Day 2 of the event.
“It’s not fun having to deal with some of the stuff that we deal with,” he added. “The great thing is I have an amazing support team at home and an amazing family.”
The Masters championship’s reputation has long been tangled in controversy. Accusations of cheating, most notably at the 2019 Hero World Challenge, where he was penalized for improving his lie in a bunker, have followed him like a shadow.
Over the years, critics have also pointed fingers at the rule interpretations, fueling a narrative that Reed says is “false” and unfairly exaggerated.
“The kind of person I am on and off the golf course hasn’t been portrayed very well in the media throughout my career, but it’s almost impossible to control others,” Reed told AFP’s Daniel Hicks. “All you can do is control yourself, so I feel like I’m doing everything the right way, living the right way.”
“Everyone I play pro-ams with and everybody I meet, they’re all like, ‘Man, you’re nothing like what the media portrays you as.’ So as long as that just continues happening, at some point it will turn around.”
Despite all the noise, Reed’s 2025 season has had some good times.
Ryder Cup Miss Still Haunts Patrick Reed
Reed secured the third position during the Masters, won LIV Golf Dallas in a thrilling four-way playoff, and finished in the top ten in Hong Kong and Miami. Not only that, but his win in Dallas was his first LIV individual title and his first professional win in Texas, where he lives.
Still, the sting of missing out on the Ryder Cup at Bethpage Black lingers.
“You’re always disappointed when you don’t make those teams. It means so much to me to represent my country,” Reed said, per AFP. “It definitely hurts, and I definitely feel like I could have been a huge asset to the team, especially at a place I won before. That was his (Keegan Bradley’s) decision, but I feel like he tried to put out the best team he could.”
Reed additionally shared his views on how effectively each team played. “Through the first two days, I don’t really care what team he threw out there,” he admitted. “I don’t think we’d be able to hang with the way the Euros played. From top to bottom on Friday and Saturday, it was just unreal.”
As of next, the Masters winner is targeting the 2027 Ryder Cup in Ireland.
“That would be great, yeah,” he shared. “I love playing, especially on foreign soil.
“It’s always kind of good to go over there and be the guy that’s a thorn in their side.”
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