Patrick Reed needs to practise his “shushing” after last week’s rules controversy in the Bahamas which resulted in the American getting a two-stroke penalty.
Australian sports fans are waiting for Reed, a wildcard selection in Tiger Woods’ US team for the Presidents Cup which starts at Royal Melbourne on Thursday.
As generations of English cricketers will testify, the Aussie sporting public does not hold back in generating hostile atmospheres. Indeed, they are even prepared to turn on their own if they are found guilty of rules-breaking.
Steve Smith, David Warner and Cameron Bancroft felt plenty of heat from their home cricket support for the infamous sandpaper ball tampering affair of 2018.
Now the issue is sand on a golf course and Reed’s illegal movement of it to improve his lie. It puts a big target on his back for this week’s match against Ernie Els’ International team.
“I hope the crowd absolutely gives it to not only him but everyone (from the US team) next week,” said Australian Cameron Smith, who is one of the dozen players in the opposing team for the Ryder Cup-style event.
It stems from Reed’s penalty on the 11th hole of his second round at the Hero World Challenge in the Bahamas last Friday.
His ball was lying in an unruly footprint in a sandy waste. Video evidence showed him addressing it at the start of a practice swing, then in the process of taking back his wedge he pushed sand away with the back of the club.
He did it twice before making his shot and was later given the penalty, said PGA Tour referee Slugger White, for “improving his line of play”.
White, incongruously, added Reed “could not have been more of a gentleman” while the penalty was imposed.
The 2018 Masters champion is no stranger to controversy and the footage went viral, earning mass condemnation from his peers and golf fans around the world.
Marc Leishman, another opponent in this week’s Presidents Cup, called Reed’s actions “pretty ordinary”.
It was put to the Australian that home fans may be tempted to bring shovels to goad Reed, the man known as “Captain America” for Ryder Cup exploits.
“There are opportunities there, put it that way,” Leishman said. “Maybe not shovels, but I think he’s definitely opened a door there, that he’s brought it on himself.”
Reed famously “shushed” the Gleneagles crowds during a stirring Ryder Cup debut in 2014. He became the pantomime villain of American golf, but this is a much more serious situation.
Reed claims the camera angle behind the ball may have been deceptive, but the evidence is damning and his actions are contrary to the principles of how golf should be played.
Cameron Smith was far from impressed. “If you make a mistake once you can maybe understand, but to give a response like the camera angle – I mean, that’s pretty up there,” he said.
The 26-year-old, who has top five finishes in the Masters and US Open, added: “I don’t have any sympathy for anyone that cheats.
