NASSAU, Bahamas – With three birdies over his final five holes on Thursday at the Hero World Challenge, Patrick Reed marched off the course with a share of the lead and the look of a man without a care in the world.
Tiger Woods’ personal member-member on this posh slice of Caribbean paradise is Reed’s fourth event since the U.S. Ryder Cup team took a TKO in Paris. For Reed, the matches and whatever madness the biennial event created is ancient history.
“It’s been, I don’t know how many weeks, but it’s been, in the golf world, it’s been a long time, a long time ago,” Reed said. “All of us on our side have moved past that. You know, basically when the tournament was over, all of us moved past it and we’re just kind of getting ready for hopefully two years.”
For Reed there’s nothing worth seeing in the rear-view mirror. You know the deal, onward and upward.
But there’s a good chance that not everyone has “moved past” the American’s comments in the ugly aftermath of the U.S. team’s 7-point loss. While the other members of Team USA took the high road in defeat, Reed vented in an interview that cut deep into a locker room that was supposed to be unified.
“The issue’s obviously with Jordan [Spieth] not wanting to play with me. 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,” Reed told the New York Times, adding, “For somebody as successful in the Ryder Cup as I am, I don’t think it’s smart to sit me twice.”
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Specifically Reed didn’t like captain Jim Furyk’s decision to pair Spieth, who had teamed with Reed to go 8-1-3 in previous Ryder and Presidents cups, with childhood friend Justin Thomas or the skipper’s decision to limit Reed – who had earned the title “Captain America” for his inspired play in previous matches – to just two starts in the team frame.
Never mind that Reed badly lost both of those team matches while paired with Woods, or that Spieth and Thomas combined to go 3-1-0 and were the U.S. side’s most productive twosome.
Reed confirmed on Thursday in Albany that he hasn’t spoken to either Furyk or Spieth since the Ryder Cup, telling the New York Post, “[Spieth] has my number.” It’s exactly the kind of dogged attitude that makes Reed such a formidable opponent that can also explain why he’s decided to double down on his take that communication from the top down was poor for the U.S. team.
Reed has spoken to Woods, who will captain next year’s Presidents Cup team, about what may have or have not gone wrong at Le Golf National.
“We spoke after the Ryder Cup for a long period of time and, you know, we talked amongst us and it will stay between us,” Woods said on Thursday.
Ryder Cups tend to create these types of evergreen tales precisely because of this kind of locker room mentality. It’s simply the nature of the news vacuum – where facts are scarce, speculation flourishes.
What we know is that Reed was told he was not going to play with Spieth before the matches, and according to other members of the U.S. team, Furyk was an engaging and open captain. What we know is that Reed was sent out alongside Woods, his childhood hero who he still emulates on PGA Tour Sundays by wearing Tiger’s signature red and black attire. It should have been a privilege, not a penance.
What we know is that Reed struggled on the rough-choked course like the vast majority of U.S. players.
“We got outplayed from top to bottom,” Reed said. “They played some amazing golf and at the end of the day whoever’s playing the best, especially with how deep our teams are on both sides, is going to win the cup,” Reed said.
What remains unknown is the path forward. It’s up to Woods now as captain of next year’s U.S. team to put this right. The relationship between Reed and Spieth, which was always driven by an intense desire to beat each other as well as their opponents, is now fractured, perhaps beyond repair.
Asked on Day 1 in the Bahamas if he felt like the issue needed to be resolved, Reed didn’t offer much daylight.
“I don’t think anything needs to be resolved,” Reed said. “I’ve seen all the guys and we’ve talked to all the guys and we’ve all moved past that.”
Reed has “moved past” the Ryder Cup, that much is clear. Whether Spieth and the American team’s leadership have reached similar epiphanies remains to be seen.
Captain America explained in the immediate aftermath of the matches that you don’t have to like someone to work with them, but you do have to trust them. Reed’s actions may have violated that all-important truth.