Patrick Reed on shaking off rules controversy: ‘You have to be resilient’
Farmers Insurance Open champion Patrick Reed said he was able to put Saturday’s rules controversy behind him because he knew he did everything he was supposed to do.
Reed benefitted from a controversial ruling on the par-four 10th during the third round at Torrey Pines when he hit a 190-yard shot out of a bunker, with a TV replay showing the ball bounced once before settling into the rough.
Believing the ball did not bounce, Reed picked it up to see if it was embedded before a rules official arrived.
The American Ryder Cup star, who was penalised two strokes for appearing to deliberately improve his lie in a bunker at the Tiger Woods’ Hero World Challenge in December 2019, was awarded a free drop and saved par, leading to plenty of criticism on social media after the round.
Asked how he managed to put the controversy behind him so effectively to close with a four-under 68 on Sunday and complete a five-stroke win, Reed said it was all about being resilient.
And as a veteran of several past controversies on the course, he knows more about resilience than most.
“I think the biggest thing is you just have to be resilient when you’re out here on the golf course,” Reed said. “It’s you against the golf course, not you against the field. You try to go out and play the best golf you can.
“When it came down to yesterday, I heard from that rules official afterwards. I went through all the protocols, did everything exactly as I was supposed to do, and that’s all I can do as a player and as a competitor. Make sure you go through all the correct steps.
“Even with the ball bouncing – and we didn’t know it had bounced obviously – but after seeing it and seeing it bouncing, when the rules official came over to check, the surface was broken. And from that point, you go from there.
“It’s just one of those things… we weren’t able to see… and from that point I was able to feel comfortable with how everything transpired that I did the right thing. And that’s all you can do is try and do the right thing and move on.
“I was able to come out today and just focus on what needed to be done – and that’s to play a solid round of golf.
“That leaderboard was stacked to start the day and you knew you had to go out and you couldn’t just shoot around par. I felt like you had to go shoot in the 60s and shoot a low number. And I was able to get on it early there towards the back side of that front nine, and at the same time allow my short game to do the work.”
Reed made no less than 20 successful up and downs during the course of the week at Torrey Pines as his short game bailed him out of trouble time and time again.
Latest
-
Videos
WATCH: Young woman steps up confidently to drive – and loses club behind her
Golf’s influencer girls can make it look easy.
-
Equipment
Pros give their verdict on Callaway Chrome Tour and Chrome Tour X balls
Callaway staffers have now had a good period of time to get used to their new ball offerings, the Chrome Tour and Chrome Tour X.
-
Videos
WATCH: 7 times the pros horribly fluffed their shots like the rest of us
Just when you think you have it all figured out.
-
Equipment
Collin Morikawa switches his putter again – and marvels at ‘incredible’ results
Collin Morikawa isn’t a professional who changes clubs lightly but he also isn’t averse to moving with the times.
-
Videos
WATCH: Kid pulls off unbelievable flop shot over his dad’s head
The flop shot is all about getting up and down with precision and this kid has it all.
-
Equipment
The clubs that helped Peter Malnati end his title drought at the Valspar Championship
Titleist staffer Peter Malnati ended his long wait for another championship at Innisbrook’s Copperhead Course.
-
Videos
WATCH: Amateur golfer takes hacking to a new level – leaving crowd in fits of laughter
Hackers are going to hack.
-
Courses
Four of the best golf clubs to play in Singapore, a year-round golfing haven
Here we look at four golf clubs or resorts that sport at least two stunning courses.