Golf is a hard, stressful game that requires the utmost concentration when trying to succeed at the highest level. But even that makes it hard to justify the way Patrick Reed behaved Thursday at the European Open.
The reigning Masters champion took matters into his own hands and revoked a camera crew’s “privilege” of standing near him and doing their job because apparently someone on the TV crew was jingling change in their pocket as Reed got set to hit a shot.
Reed’s caddie can be seen trying to get the offender to stop the jingling. When that didn’t work, Reed backed off his shot and lit into the TV duo.
“You’re rattling change in your pocket. That’s what I’m pointing at you for,” Reed’s caddie tells one of the guys.
“Well, thank you — stop,” Reed then said with no shortage of tone. “I need ya’ll to go over on that side of the green. I need camera guy too since he’s part of ya, sorry. He lost privileges by going like that with change. Keep going. I’m not hitting until ya’ll get the heck out of here, like completely out of here. … Ridiculous.”
Yikes.
On one hand, you could understand why Reed and his caddie might be a little annoyed. Reed’s trying to do his job, and when there’s that much money on the line, every shot counts. But the camera crew is trying to do its job, too, and it’s not like the guy was talking on his phone or something. It’s some keys jingling. At the same time, there probably no fewer than 48 birds chirping nearby. Not only that, Reed is famous for his Ryder Cup play, where he’s at his best in a hostile environment.
And obviously, the biggest issue here is the tone and Reed’s general jerk-ness. Had he or his caddie stopped with a stern request to stop jingling the keys, it would be nothing. But to belittle the crew, insinuating it’s a privilege for them to do their jobs? That’s probably a bit much.
Not to mention the fact Reed is already one of the game’s most hated players.
