Share

Reed prepared for heckles at Players Championship

Patrick Reed insists he is unconcerned by the possibility of being heckled during this week's Players Championship at Sawgrass.

Reed's conduct on the course has been under severe scrutiny since he received a two-shot penalty during the Hero World Challenge in December.

The former Masters champion said he had not intended to improve his lie by removing sand behind his ball during two practice swings, but that explanation has cut little ice with some fans and fellow players.

One spectator yelled "cheater" at Reed as he putted during a play-off at the Tournament of Champions in January, while former world No 1 Brooks Koepka also expressed his disapproval.

In an interview with Sirius/XM, Koepka said: "I don't know what he was doing, building sand castles in the sand, but you know where your club is.

"If you look at the video, he grazes the sand twice, and then he still chops down on it. If you play the game, you understand the rules."

Ryder Cup star Ian Poulter has faced heckling from spectators at Sawgrass on more than one occasion, but Reed is not expecting any problems.

"I think the PGA Tour has done a great job on the security and the fans as a whole have been pretty good," Reed, who has not spoken to Koepka since the latter's comments, said in his pre-event press conference.

"You're always going to get a couple of people here and there that are going to say something, that's normal in any sport you play.

"When I get inside those ropes I have a job to do and that's to go out and play good golf and have a chance to win on Sundays, to provide for my family and to go out and represent myself the best way I can."

Reed had previously vowed to "block out all the noise" surrounding him following his recent victory in the WGC-Mexico Championship.

But when asked if further victories would bring an end to such noise, he told reporters: "At the end of the day the noise goes away once y'all decide it goes away.

"I feel like the players and all of us have moved on. All we can do is go out and continue playing good golf and doing what we're supposed to do."

- TEAMtalk media

We live in a world where facts and fiction get blurred
Who we choose to trust can have a profound impact on our lives. Join thousands of devoted South Africans who look to News24 to bring them news they can trust every day. As we celebrate 25 years, become a News24 subscriber as we strive to keep you informed, inspired and empowered.
Join News24 today
heading
description
username
Show Comments ()
Voting Booth
Should Siya Kolisi keep the captaincy as the Springboks build towards their World Cup title defence in 2027?
Please select an option Oops! Something went wrong, please try again later.
Results
Yes! Siya will only be 36 at the next World Cup. He can make it!
25% - 1273 votes
No! I think the smart thing to do is start again with a younger skipper ...
29% - 1472 votes
I'd keep Siya captain for now, but look to have someone else for 2027.
45% - 2251 votes
Vote
Editorial feedback and complaints

Contact the public editor with feedback for our journalists, complaints, queries or suggestions about articles on News24.

LEARN MORE