REED’S HEAD STILL STUCK IN THE SAND
Denial and absolving yourself of blame isn’t the same thing as mental toughness
Patrick Reed winning in the face of withering criticism would seem to be the most Patrick Reed move ever.
On Sunday, the 29-year-old American charged to victory at the WGC Mexico Championship by birdieing three of the last four holes in the final round. The 2018 Masters champion needed just 98 putts over 72 holes for the week, including 45 one-putts.
But very few people tuned into the post-round interview to hear about Reed’s putter. In every interview, all people wait for is the moment Reed is asked about the cheater label he has been carrying around since being penalized two strokes for — to borrow a phrase from Brooks Koepka — building sand castles in the bunker at Tiger Woods’ Hero World Challenge in December.
As far as feel-good stories go, let’s just say that Reed’s win is the opposite of a zamboni-driving rent-a-goalie. But great stories come in all sorts, and there is a long history in sports of celebrating toughness in the face of adversity. Yes, even adversity brought on by oneself.
So it was no surprise when television commentators and pundits praised Reed’s ability to compartmentalize the cloud of controversy around him and even his seeming ability to use it as fuel for his fire. Although the shine of the man-formerly-known-as-captain-america has largely worn off, Reed has made a career of playing golf with a startling intensity and this weekend seemed yet another example.
However, the more Reed is asked to answer for his actions, the less toughness and grit seem to be the proper words to describe him.
He was asked if he feels the whole world is against him.
“I’m used to it,” he said. “All I can control is me and what I do on and off the golf course, and if I feel like I’m improving each day on and off the golf course and setting a good example for the next generation coming up, the children, as well as my own children, then that’s all I can do,”
Reed said. “And I feel like I’ve been doing a good job of that, and I feel like I’ve been growing as a person and as a golfer, and that’s all I can really do.”
With a green jacket and eight PGA Tour wins, Reed’s talent is tremendous, but if this is the world he lives in it’s one he has created in his mind. Denial and absolving yourself of blame is more coping mechanism than mental toughness.
After the Bahamas penalty, Reed claimed he didn’t feel his club drag the sand away and didn’t think it “really would have affected my lie.” Koepka and pretty much anyone who has ever picked up a golf club had a different opinion. But Reed stuck with it. His point of view on the entire ordeal seems to be: I made a mistake, was penalized, and that should be the end of it. As though improving your lie in a bunker is not so different from, you know, hitting a ball in the water. Whoops.
Shortly after the Hero controversy, a second video came out showing Reed doing the same thing at another tournament. Then last week, former CBS analyst Peter Kostis told the No Laying Up podcast that he had personally seen Reed improving his lie on a number of occasions over the years. Video emerged of one such moment.
It has been nearly impossible to get a straight answer out of Reed. His most common deflection is pretending he doesn’t understand what the point of the question is.
After the win on Sunday, Reed was asked what will happen the next time he is paired with Koepka.
“I put the ball on the ground, and I just hit my next shot,” Reed answered.
Will it be awkward?
“No, not at all,” he said. “I mean, it’s BK.”
Uh, huh.
“It doesn’t matter if it’s any of the guys, Brooks, Rory, DJ, Tiger, any of the guys. You’re going out and playing golf. Those guys are in your group, you know you have to step up and play the best golf you can because you know how high calibre the guys are.”
The question wasn’t really asking whether Koepka and Tiger are good players, but thanks.
Every avid golfer knows somebody, maybe even a friend, who has a liberal interpretation of the rules, or thinks they don’t necessarily apply to them. If you’re a member of a club you likely know a handful of people with this reputation. They are generally unfazed by criticism and when confronted they will deny, deny, deny.
They are at every golf club. They just can’t make 45 oneputts in a week.