Patrick Reed is asking golf fans to move past a rules hullabaloo from last weekend’s Dubai Desert Classic that he dubbed a “non-issue.”
The LIV Golf member released a statement on the subject Tuesday night.
During the third round in Dubai, Reed’s tee shot at the par-4 17th hole became lodged in a palm tree. Reed said he could identify it was his ball by using binoculars, which allowed him to take a drop under the tree for an unplayable ball, costing him one stroke but saving him from having to re-tee.
The DP World Tour confirmed the ruling in a statement. However, Reed perhaps responded to criticism from Golf Channel analyst Brandel Chamblee, who posted a slow-motion video bringing into question the DP World Tour’s call.
“Some people love controversy,” Reed wrote. “But what happened on the 17th hole at the Hero Dubai Desert Classic was a non-issue. As the DP World Tour confirmed, I was not asked to identify the tree my ball struck (that was done by the ShotLink volunteers and several marshals), I was asked to describe the distinctive markings on the ball I was playing.”
Reed ended up placing second to Northern Ireland’s Rory McIlroy at the event, which accepted LIV Golf members in addition to PGA Tour and DP World Tour players.
Reed began the week by flicking a tee at McIlroy while walking away on the driving range after McIlroy refused to shake Reed’s hand. McIlroy has been among the loudest critics of players defecting to the Saudi-funded LIV tour.
McIlroy was asked his opinion of what happened with Reed’s rules controversy.
“Had it been anyone else in the field it would have been a non-issue, but because of certain things in (Reed’s) past, people brought some stuff up, which is maybe unfair in some ways,” McIlroy said.
Reed has been accused of cheating or fudging rules at tournaments in the past, predating his affiliation with LIV.
–Field Level Media