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Aussie Smith on Reed: No ‘sympathy for anyone that cheats’

After watching the incident from halfway around the world, Cameron Smith didn’t mince words when asked for his reaction to Patrick Reed’s rules infraction at the Hero World Challenge.

Smith was busy competing in the Australian Open when Reed was docked two shots during Friday’s third round in the Bahamas for improving his lie by moving sand behind his ball during two practice swings. The penalty proved consequential, as Reed finished the tournament exactly two shots behind winner Henrik Stenson.

Reed told reporters that he believed a different camera angle might have exonerated him, and Smith offered a colorful reaction when speaking with reporters in Sydney.

“If you make a mistake maybe once, you could maybe understand but to give a bit of a bulls--- response like the camera angle ... that’s pretty up there (inexcusable),” Smith told the AAP.

Smith will make his Presidents Cup debut next week at Royal Melbourne against an American team that will feature Reed, and he becomes the second International player to weigh in on the incident. Fellow Aussie Marc Leishman told reporters that Reed has “definitely opened the door” to some fan vitriol next week at Royal Melbourne and has “brought it on himself,” a sentiment that Presidents Cup rookie Smith echoed.

“I don’t have any sympathy for anyone that cheats. I hope the crowd absolutely gives it to not only him, but everyone (on the American team) next week,” Smith said. “I know Pat pretty good and he’s always been nice to me, so I don’t want to say anything bad about him. But anyone’s cheating the rules, I’m not up for that.”

Reed has often embraced the role of villain in away team matches before, and he told reporters in the Bahamas that he’s ready for whatever may come his way in Melbourne.

“There’s not really anything that’s going to be said or done that’s going to really derail me at the end of the day when I go out there to play golf, especially next week,” Reed said. “I’m playing with my team and for the whole country, and at the end of the day nothing’s going to get in my way.”