Connect with us

19th Hole

Should we be talking more about Patrick Reed’s family and past? Or less?

Published

on

As is customary with major champions in general, and perhaps Masters winners in particular, the golf media rushed to present Patrick Reed’s backstory after he captured the green jacket, Sunday.

To that end: Patrick Reed, as I assume most golf fans are aware, has no contact with his parents, Bill and Jeanette. Both Alan Shipnuck of Golf.com and Ian O’Connor of ESPN.com spoke with Reed’s estranged parents about their son’s victory. (Shipnuck followed up with this explanation for why he decided to write the piece)

Reed’s mother and father didn’t discuss in detail the reason they haven’t spoken to their son since 2012, and the pieces focus more on the couple’s experience, and mix of powerful emotions, watching Reed win the green jacket.

Additionally, the allegations of Reed’s collegiate cheating and stealing leveled in Shane Ryan’s 2015 book, Slaying the Tiger, have resurfaced in a range of outlets.

Again, while most who follow the game closely are familiar with Reed’s dubious history, the Masters champion is arguably the most visible of the four major winners. General sports fans may know little about Reed, so it’s worth painting the full portrait of the 2018 Masters winner.

Or is it? Geoff Shackelford and Matt Adams discussed the merits of digging into Reed’s past, particularly his family situation, on Morning Drive. Similarly, we’d like to hear what GolfWRX members think.

It’s also worth noting that, while Reed is currently estranged from his parents, there have been no recent accusations of cheating, stealing, etc. Additionally, reporters are not merely presenting the past, they’re actively fueling the fire by interviewing Reed’s parents and writing new stories.

Is this problematic, or is it good journalism? Can it be both? We want to know what you think, GolfWRX members. We’d like to take the pulse of the readership on this situation, as it dictates content decisions in the future.

And if you’d like to take the discussion even further, here’s something else to chew on: Assume Tiger Woods had won the 2018 Masters. Would reporters feel the need to reexamine his 2009 sex scandal? His 2017 arrest? Should they? 

Ben Alberstadt is the Editor-in-Chief at GolfWRX, where he’s led editorial direction and gear coverage since 2018. He first joined the site as a freelance writer in 2012 after years spent working in pro shops and bag rooms at both public and private golf courses, experiences that laid the foundation for his deep knowledge of equipment and all facets of this maddening game. Based in Philadelphia, Ben’s byline has also appeared on PGATour.com, Bleacher Report...and across numerous PGA DFS and fantasy golf platforms. Off the course, Ben is a committed cat rescuer and, of course, a passionate Philadelphia sports fan. Follow him on Instagram @benalberstadt.

19th Hole

How much each player won at the 2026 Masters

Published

on

Rory McIlroy made it two wins in as many years at Augusta National, seeing off the challengers on a dramatic Sunday to slip on the green jacket once again. The victory earned Rory a whopping payday of $4.5 million, with Scottie Scheffler his closest challenger earning $2.43 million for his sole runner-up finish.

With a total prize purse of $22.5 million up for grabs, here’s a look at how much each player won at the 2026 Masters tournament.

For players that did not make the cut, they still earned $25k for their efforts at the year’s opening major.

  • 1: Rory McIlroy, $4.5 million
  • 2: Scottie Scheffler, $2.43 million
  • T3: Tyrrell Hatton, $1.08 million
  • T3: Russell Henley, $1.08 million
  • T3: Justin Rose, $1.08 million
  • T3: Cameron Young, $1.08 million
  • T7: Collin Morikawa, $725,625
  • T7: Sam Burns, $725,625
  • T9: Xander Schauffele, $630,00
  • T9: Max Homa, $630,00
  • 11: Jake Knapp, $562,500
  • T12: Jordan Spieth, $427,500
  • T12: Brooks Koepka, $427,500
  • T12: Hideki Matsuyama, $427,500
  • T12: Patrick Reed, $427,500
  • T12: Patrick Cantlay, $427,500
  • T12: Jason Day, $427,500
  • T18: Viktor Hovland, $315,000
  • T18: Maverick McNealy, $315,000
  • T18: Matt Fitzpatrick, $315,000
  • T21: Keegan Bradley, $252,000
  • T21: Ludvig Aberg, $252,000
  • T21: Wyndham Clark, $252,000
  • T24: Matt McCarty, $182,083
  • T24: Adam Scott, $182,083
  • T24: Sam Stevens, $182,083
  • T24: Chris Gotterup, $182,083
  • T24: Michael Brennan, $182,083
  • T24: Brian Campbell, $182,083
  • T30: Alex Noren, $146,250
  • T30: Harris English, $146,250
  • T30: Shane Lowry, $146,250
  • T33: Gary Woodland, $121,500
  • T33: Dustin Johnson, $121,500
  • T33: Brian Harman, $121,500
  • T33: Tommy Fleetwood, $121,500
  • T33: Ben Griffin, $121,500
  • T38: Jon Rahm, $105,750
  • T38: Ryan Gerard, $101,250
  • T38: Haotong Li, $96,750
  • T41: Justin Thomas, $92,250
  • T41: Sepp Straka, $87,750
  • T41: Jacob Bridgeman, $83,250
  • T41: Kristoffer Reitan, $78,750
  • T41: Nick Taylor, $74,250
  • 46: Sungjae Im, $69,750
  • 47: Si Woo Kim, $65,250
  • 48: Aaron Rai, $61,650
  • T49: Corey Conners, $57,600
  • T49: Marco Penge, $57,600
  • 51: Kurt Kitayama, $55,250
  • 52: Sergio Garcia, $54,000
  • 53: Rasmus Hojgaard, $52,650
  • 54: Charl Schwartzel, $51,300

Continue Reading

19th Hole

CBS’s Sunday Masters coverage slammed by golf fans

Published

on

While Sunday was a dramatic day at the Masters, many golf fans were left feeling frustrated by the CBS final round coverage.

There were plenty of moments that golf fans took to social media to air their frustrations on Sunday over, including a lack of shots being shown throughout the day, being behind the live action, confusion over the approach shots of the final group on 18, and providing an angle for the winning putt where the cup couldn’t be seen.

Here’s a look at some of the criticisms that were directed at the CBS coverage throughout the day on X:

It’s rare criticism coming in for CBS, who are usually heavily praised for their Masters coverage each year.

Continue Reading

19th Hole

The surprise club Tommy Fleetwood says is key to his Masters chances

Published

on

Tommy Fleetwood goes in search for the first major victory of his career again this week, with the Englishman proving to be a popular pick at Augusta National.

Fleetwood’s best showing at Augusta came back in 2024 where he finished T3, and while speaking at his pre-tournament press conference, the 35-year-old emphasized the importance of his 9-wood in his pursuit of the green jacket.

Speaking on Tuesday to media, Fleetwood said:

“It’s a great 9-wood golf course. I think it’s always been — I can’t remember when I first put like a 9-wood in or a high lofted club, but it’s a perfect like 9-wood golf course. I’ve had that in the bag for a few years.”

The Englishman continued, revealing that his strategy for the week won’t just be to hit driver off the tee as much as possible:

“Yeah, it’s funny really because I know Augusta is probably associated with being fairly forgiving off the tee in a way, so you think you can whale around driver a little bit. But I don’t necessarily think that’s always the play for me. I think there’s holes that set up really well where I can draw it with the mini driver if I’m feeling less comfortable with the driver and things like that.”

That strategy he believes will make his TaylorMade Qi10 9-wood extra critical this week in Georgia:

“The biggest thing is the 9-wood for me. If I can put myself in position on the par-5s or the 4th long par-3, like it — for me, I can’t really hit that high 4-iron, so 9-wood helps me a lot.”

Tommy Fleetwood WITB 2026

Continue Reading

Announcement

Our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use have been updated as of January 29th, 2026. Please review the updated policies here Privacy Policy | Terms of Use. By continuing to use our site after January 29th, 2026, you agree to the changes.

WITB

Facebook

Trending