Euan McLean
WHAT HE SAID AT TEAM’S PRESS CONFERENCE
PATRICK REED says he “nearly lit up the room like Gleneagles” as he launched an astonishing postRyder Cup blast at Jordan Spieth and captain Jim Furyk.
During the defeated US team’s en-masse press conference Reed bit his tongue as Spieth gave a diplomatic response: “We were totally involved in every decision that was made. Jim allowed it to be a player-friendly environment.” reputation for not being an easy guy to get along with. This is the guy kicked off his college golf team amid accusations of cheating and stealing from his team-mates.
But later on Sunday night Reed made reference to Phil Mickelson’s public savaging of captain Tom Watson, sitting just a few seats away, following the Gleneagles loss.
Reed said: “I was looking at him like I was about to light the room up like Phil in ’14.
“The issue’s obviously with Jordan not wanting to play with me.
“When it comes right down to it I don’t care if I like the person I’m among America’s few who stepped up to the plate.
But if Reed’s feelings are in any way shared by other members of the US team it’s no wonder Europe were able to brush aside the supposedly strongest US team ever assembled.
Listening to the warmth with which every European player has spoken over the last week it seems unthinkable even one of them could feel isolated or excluded.
Even when Thorbjorn Olesen – a close friend of Bjorn’s – was the only European to be left out of Saturday’s play there was no revolt, no sign of a petted lip.
Instead the Dane practised, got out there to support his team and rest up to be fresh to come out with all guns blazing the next day – and didn’t he just by obliterating Spieth 5&4 in the singles.
As Bjorn put it time and again this week, the Ryder Cup is about 12 individuals coming together as one – a lesson Reed and maybe others within America’s Task Force generation have still to learn. paired with or if the person likes me as long as it works and it sets up the team for success.
“I thought he (Furyk) might go back with the groups that have worked in the past.
“For somebody as successful in the Ryder Cup as I am, I don’t think it’s smart to sit me twice.
“Every day I saw, ‘Leave your egos at the door’. They (the Europeans) do that better than us’.”