REED GOING BOLDLY
Moving on from big win at Doral, he carries confidence to Bay Hill
Patrick Reed doesn’t get all the hoopla.
He’s even amused about the uproar that came shortly after he won the World Golf Championships-Cadillac Championship 10 days ago, his third win in 14 starts. Within seconds of tapping in his putt on the 72nd hole on the Blue Monster at Trump National Doral, Reed declared himself a top-five player in the world, although the win moved him to No. 20 in the world rankings.
Indignation blew up on social media and by the end of the night a new moniker on Twitter named PatrickReedsEgo was mockingly divulging his heroic deeds since childhood.
“I thought it was pretty funny,” Reed, 23, said at the Arnold Palmer Invitational. “It was interesting to see how much of basically a stir that got up in the media. When it comes down to it, that’s what I believe in. And that’s how I see myself as a player. But you have to have that belief in yourself. If you don’t, then you’re not going to play like it and you’re definitely not going to be contending on Sundays.
“I wouldn’t think that it would rub anyone the wrong way, just on the fact that people now know what I believe and what my goals are.”
Henrik Stenson, who is ranked No. 3, didn’t enthusiastically respond when asked about Reed’s comment.
“I think it’s very natural that you’re feeling confident if you won three times in a short period of time,” Stenson said. “And obviously he feels like he belongs up there when he’s playing well. And if he keeps on winning another couple of times, I’m sure he’s going to be in the top five. Time will tell.
“Is that a good political answer? Thank you.”
Reed spent the past week celebrating his victory and the upcoming birth of his and wife Justine’s first child with a baby shower. And by the sound of things, he hasn’t let his recent success go to his head despite being No. 4 in the standings for the U.S. Ryder Cup team, No. 3 in the FedExCup and soon headed to Augusta National for his first Masters.
Reed knew it was time to move on and concentrate on this week, so that’s what he did when he popped in his earphones, turned on the music and started banging balls on the driving range at Bay Hill.
Last year, Reed missed the cut here by three shots because of what he did on the 18th hole, taking a 10 in the first round and a 6 in the second. If he can conquer 18 this year, maybe he can contend this week.
And move — at least in the standings — closer to No. 5.
“The one thing in college is you can go put in two really good rounds and then have an OK round, and then about an evenpar round and you win events,” Reed said. “Out here, you have to put four solid rounds together. Most of the weeks it seems like I can get two, three really good, decent rounds and then I might have one that’s not so great. If I can get the consistency down ... that will allow me to contend week in and week out.”