In the aftermath of the 2018 Ryder Cup, Patrick Reed was once again the story. Unfortunately for fans of the United States, it wasn’t because Captain America had once again outdueled the European side, but because of what he didn’t do.
Following an 0-2 showing in the team matches, Reed let loose with criticism of U.S. captain Jim Furyk and teammate Jordan Spieth for the “buddy system” dynamic that dictated the pairings, specifically the unceremonious breakup of the Reed-Spieth duo that had been so successful in the past.
Reed Rips Furyk, Spieth For Pairing Decisions
“The issue’s obviously with Jordan not wanting to play with me,” Reed told The New York Times’ Karen Crouse on Sunday. “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. He and I know how to make each other better. We know how to get the job done.”
Although Spieth stuck up for Furyk during the post-tournament press conference, Reed wasn’t pulling punches, but never got the opportunity to answer in a public setting. As a result, Crouse gave Reed a call to hear his side of things.
On Monday, Crouse joined Shane Bacon’s The Clubhouse Podcast to give further insight into her column.
“I could sense that Patrick had wanted to answer (the question) and hadn’t gotten a chance to,” Crouse said. “I asked him, ‘Patrick, did you have any say in that?’ And he said, ‘No,’
“His second choice was Tiger — and again Patrick was not Tiger’s first choice — and so this was sort of a makeshift lineup,”
You can listen to the full interview here.
