Tour News

Patrick Reed denies accusations of cheating, stealing

Published

11 years ago

Mar 10, 2015

Patrick Reed is fighting back against allegations of cheating and stealing made in an excerpt from a forthcoming book, and is requesting for retraction from the author and publisher before it’s made available.

Read the excerpt here.

On Sunday after the WGC-Cadillac Championship, Reed denied all claims of cheating and stealing as a member of the University of Georgia and Augusta State University golf teams and has sworn statements from his ex-head coaches to support his defense.

An excerpt from the book entitled Slaying the Tiger: A Year Inside the Ropes on the new PGA Tour, written by Shane Ryan, accuses Reed of cheating during practice as a Georgia Bulldog, and stealing $400 cash and a Scotty Cameron putter from a teammate, information that was attributed to anonymous sources.

Reed admitted to the Golf Channel that he “got kicked out of UGA” because of two “drinking incidents,” and admits he was arrested for underage drinking while attending the university.

Anonymous sources in the book say he was also caught cheating as a member of the Augusta State University (now Georgia Regents University) golf team, where he transferred to after leaving the Georgia golf team.

Reed told the Golf Channel that he plans on sending a letter to Ballantine Books, the company that helped publish Ryan’s book, requesting that the excerpt in the book be retracted.

Reed said he has affidavits from Chris Haack, head coach of the Georgia men’s golf team, and Josh Gregory, Reed’s coach at Augusta State University, that contradict the claims that Ryan made in his book.

Does Reed plan on taking legal action if the portion of the book is not removed?

“ALL OPTIONS ARE OPEN. WE’RE NOT 100 PERCENT SURE ON THAT YET,” HE TOLD THE GOLF CHANNEL.

Ryan took to Twitter on Sunday, seemingly in response to Reed’s interview, defending the content in his book.

Just want to say quickly here that I stand behind my reporting 100%, and I also stand behind the truth of what I wrote.

— Shane Ryan (@ShaneRyanHere) March 9, 2015

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Andrew Tursky

He played on the Hawaii Pacific University Men's Golf team and earned a Masters degree in Communications. He also played college golf at Rutgers University, where he graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism.

34 Comments

marcel

Mar 17, 2015 at 12:37 am

how low. what is this guy hoping for? like to get some compo money so he wont tell? no proof nothing – just a talk to sell book about what?

Reply Report comment
LABILLYBOY

Mar 16, 2015 at 11:48 am

At least the tour doesn’t have players cheating on their wives and domestic violence, or guys who have to take a few months off due to substance abuse. That’s all for the tattooed thugs in the NBA right? No steroids or PED’s… nah…

Come on, so he shaved a couple strokes in college and stole a putter, he should just admit it without any details, say it was “youthful indiscretion”, that he’s settled down like we all do, is a dad, loves his wife and would never do anything to jeopardize that. Do it while his wife looks at him adoringly while holding his baby… Refuse to ever discuss it again.

Reply Report comment
- George
  
  Mar 17, 2015 at 9:16 am
  
  Nice comment. LaBilly.
  
  Reply Report comment
Paul

Mar 14, 2015 at 10:55 pm

Judge not, lest you be judged.

Reply Report comment
vince guest

Mar 12, 2015 at 6:16 am

Jeremy Kyle could do a polygraph.

Reply Report comment
Tony

Mar 11, 2015 at 5:20 pm

Firstly, he’s not a KID. He’s old enough to fight, vote , have children etc.

Instead of talking rubbish about being top 5 ( guys like Jason Day) have consistently performed much better for the last couple years in majors and are much more discreet. I think he should look at McIroy as a contempory to try to emulate. Forget suing, that will probably take him places he doesn’t want to go and be a little more humble while still trying to climb golf’s ladder

Reply Report comment
- Captain Oblivious
  
  Mar 12, 2015 at 12:47 pm
  
  You consider finishing NEAR the top in majors is better than WINNING on the PGA Tour?
  
  As far as the top 5 comment being “rubbish”, how many others have won 4 times in the last year and a half? BTW, could you remind me who the top point earner was on the last US Ryder Cup team?
  
  Reply Report comment
Tomterrific

Mar 11, 2015 at 4:55 pm

I love to watch Reed play with that velvet smooth swing. I love his wife, lugging that full size bag at 5′ nothing was unbelievable. What he did in college is to be forgiven as youthful indescrection. He’s growing up with a new baby. I root for him in every tournament he’s in.

Reply Report comment
Spencer J. Carlsen

Mar 11, 2015 at 12:00 pm

Integrity is at the core of golf, and with such serious accusations there is every expectation that people will question whether Reed can be trusted. The reporter stands by his sources, which includes multiple teammates and coaches. We’ll never know the truth. Nevertheless, it is up to Reed to earn our trust and respect, or the focus will continue to be on his past recored, and not his current ones.

Reply Report comment
- Dave S
  
  Mar 11, 2015 at 1:21 pm
  
  Yes, but how? By NOT stealing and NOT cheating going forward? You know as well as I do that there’s no real way to clear his name if these accusations are in fact false other than what he’s doing… taking author to Court. I believe that if you’re going to publish something so derogatory about someone you should be willing to go on the record.
  
  That said, I think it’s pretty interesting that the affidavit he got from his former coaches says that he “wasn’t suspended or kicked off the team because of stealing and/or cheating”… that may, in fact, be true, but it doesn’t mean he didn’t do it, just that it wasn’t the direct cause of him being kicked off the team. Everyone seems to be glossing over that BIG detail. As a lawyer, this this a trick used commonly… getting people to infer one thing by exhibiting facts proving something indirectly related and allowing the consumer of the info to create the causal link on their own. We’ll see how this plays out.
  
  Reply Report comment
- Fsubaseball21
  
  Mar 11, 2015 at 4:16 pm
  
  Not a chance he will ever sue. That will leave him open to discovery while under oath and by no means does he want that. Hint hint.
  
  Reply Report comment
George

Mar 11, 2015 at 10:17 am

As previously stated. Kids do things. Patrick is still in the growing phase. Let him alone as he is one of the gifted ones who will drive the rest of the PGA players to strive for higher levels. Also, I like the this site for the golf topics and not Enquirer format.

Reply Report comment
Golfraven

Mar 11, 2015 at 8:48 am

Think he is right to get records straight. Its not like he cheated or stole while on the PGA tour, but the headline does imply this if you don’t know the facts.

Reply Report comment
Michael

Mar 11, 2015 at 8:39 am

Winning is not everything!!! How you win reveals the measure of your integrity.

Reply Report comment
Jake Anderson

Mar 11, 2015 at 5:44 am

Maybe Patrick Reed did cheat, maybe he did not. I for one do not believe that he cheated. Also I am firm that Dustin Johnson never abused illegal substances. The PGA Tour is a 100 % clean. All athletes are role models really.

Reply Report comment
- christian
  
  Mar 11, 2015 at 7:18 am
  
  Ha ha, good one
  
  Reply Report comment
- Lion
  
  Mar 11, 2015 at 10:56 am
  
  Including Tiger?
  
  Reply Report comment
  - Jake Anderson
    
    Mar 11, 2015 at 11:16 am
    
    Yes, including Tiger. I don’t like what the media did to him. I think the medias coverage of his alleged infidelities cost him his marriage and that is really a shame.
    
    Reply Report comment
    - Robeli
      
      Mar 11, 2015 at 1:32 pm
      
      So it’s the media’s fault? Really?
      
      Reply Report comment
      - Phil
        
        Mar 11, 2015 at 3:34 pm
        
        It’s his fault, but they sure as heck played a HUGE part of the results… That can’t be denied!
        
        Reply Report comment
    - Anthony Galea
      
      Mar 11, 2015 at 3:57 pm
      
      top notch trolling
      
      Reply Report comment
LML

Mar 11, 2015 at 1:31 am

Can we please leave Reed alone for one week. This guy is great, he’s playing well and he has a competitive spirit that most of the young American miss.
#TeamReed

Reply Report comment
Ken

Mar 10, 2015 at 10:05 pm

I like this site for actual golf stuff, not Enquirer articles. One article is OK, but please … I hope this is not a trend. Just my two cents. Anyway, there are too many cameras during PGA events.

Reply Report comment
Dan

Mar 10, 2015 at 9:40 pm

“Shane Ryan, accuses Reed of cheating during practice as a Georgia Bulldog”

What does cheating during practice even mean? If it’s a practice round, there are no rules that are really enforced…

Reply Report comment
- Jack
  
  Mar 11, 2015 at 10:15 am
  
  I thought it was during a qualifying round for a tournament.
  
  Reply Report comment
- Robeli
  
  Mar 11, 2015 at 1:35 pm
  
  In college your practice rounds are used for team selection and number position you play.
  
  Reply Report comment
+Bary S.

Mar 10, 2015 at 9:18 pm

The publisher and author better have some deep pockets.

Reply Report comment
Jeff

Mar 10, 2015 at 8:39 pm

Kids do stupid and selfish things all the time. He’s lucky to have made it as a pro golfer

Reply Report comment
Pat M

Mar 10, 2015 at 8:33 pm

Looks like he does not use PEDs. Maybe Finchem should have been drug testing about 10 years ago during golf’s own Lance Armstrong era. Reed has won fair and square. He made a few minor mistakes partying as a kid? Big deal.

Reply Report comment
Nick

Mar 10, 2015 at 8:15 pm

Get back to your roots! more in the bag photos less irrelevant gossip!

Reply Report comment
Bobby Cunningham

Mar 10, 2015 at 8:14 pm

Just leave the kid alone. He’s made it this far and if it was such a problem, he wouldn’t be where he is today. People want to jump on him because he’s cocky.

Reply Report comment
B

Mar 10, 2015 at 8:13 pm

Reed has been an outcast since childhood and he knows it, and he has no intention of changing. There are many (M-A-N-Y) PGA Tour players, past and current, that have had less-than-proud backgrounds, and strange ‘issues’ currently.

Reply Report comment
Matt

Mar 10, 2015 at 4:17 pm

Can Patrick Reed just go back to binge eating @ Chipotle?

Tired of hearing about this degenerate.

Reply Report comment
- Fred
  
  Mar 11, 2015 at 11:58 am
  
  You sound like a super positive person! I’m sure you are the perfect role model who never told a lie. The kid has incredible game and is fun to watch… leave him alone
  
  Reply Report comment

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