US giants’ egos clash in Ryder Cup loss
MASTERS champion Patrick Reed has admitted egos were a problem for the American team as he blamed Jordan Spieth for the end of their successful Ryder Cup partnership.
And Reed claimed it was “not smart” of US captain Jim Furyk to leave him out of two sessions at Le Golf National in Paris as Europe regained the trophy with a resounding seven-point victory on Sunday.
Reed and Spieth had won four and halved two of their seven matches together at the previous two Ryder Cups at Gleneagles and Hazeltine, but Reed was twice paired with Tiger Woods and Spieth played four matches with close friend Justin Thomas in Paris.
“The issue’s obviously with Jordan not wanting to play with me,” Reed said after the loss. “I don’t have any issue with Jordan. When it comes right down to it, I don’t care if I like the person I’m paired with or if the person likes me as long as it works and it sets up the team for success.
“He and I know how to make each other better. We know how to get the job done.”
Reed and Woods were the only American pair to lose on Friday morning, after which Reed expected Furyk to revert to pairings which had worked previously – meaning he and Spieth.
After a second defeat to Francesco Molinari and Tommy Fleetwood on Saturday morning, Reed was left out again while Woods partnered Bryson DeChambeau to another loss.
“For somebody as successful in the Ryder Cup as I am, I don’t think it’s smart to sit me (out) twice,” said Reed.