Patrick Reed "conned the ref" with "100%" golf ball claim | GolfMagic Podcast

Challenge Tour pro Gary Boyd talks Patrick Reed controversy, OWGR fears and having a Soccer Saturday pundit as his caddie on the latest episode of the GolfMagic Podcast.

Andy Roberts

31 Jan 2023

Patrick Reed "conned the ref" with "100%" golf ball claim | GolfMagic Podcast — Patrick Reed "conned the ref" with "100%" golf ball claim | GolfMagic…

Patrick Reed "conned the referee" over 'treegate' at the Dubai Desert Classic, says GolfMagic Editor Andy Roberts on the latest episode of the GolfMagic 'From The Tips' Podcast where Challenge Tour pro Gary Boyd joined the show.

Reed, who ended up finishing second to Rory McIlroy by one shot at the Dubai Desert Classic on Monday, came under heavy criticism by much of the golfing world for what unfolded after his tee shot at the par-4 17th at the Emirates Golf Club in Sunday's third round.

If you've not yet seen the incident, you can watch it in full here.

The LIV Golf player, who is also an Honorary Lifetime Member of the DP World Tour, clattered his tee shot into a tree on the penultimate hole.

Quite literally.

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As Reed trudged down the right flank to locate his ball, video footage on Sky Sports Golf showed the American's golf ball appear to nestle itself into the first of three trees.

But Reed walked straight over to the third and furthest tree, located some 10 yards ahead of the first one.

He was apparently told by an on-course marshal that his ball had clattered into the furthest of the three trees.

But that was not the case.

Over came a rules official, and out came a set of binoculars, and Reed soon declared he could see the markings of his golf ball in the furthest of the three trees.

But Patrick, it's not there?!

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Up above in this particular tree, there appeared to be at least six golf balls.

Reed claimed he was "100%" certain that his golf ball was in the furthest of the three trees.

"I would have gone back to the tee if I wasn't 100%," said Reed after the round.

And that is the claim that has irked so many golf fans and critics.

Because his golf ball was not in that tree.

Golf Channel's Brandel Chamblee has since slowed the video footage down multiple times and done a full piece proving Reed's ball ended up in the first tree - and NOT the furthest of the three trees which Reed declared his golf ball was in.

On-course referee Kevin Feeney was seemingly happy with Reed's description of his said golf ball in the furthest of the three trees, and so he got to take a drop under one penalty stroke right beside that tree.

By *correctly* identifying his golf ball in the tree, Reed was allowed to play his third shot with a wedge instead of head back to the tee (had he not been able to identify it).

The 'treegate' incident, which followed the 'teegate' controversy with eventual winner McIlroy earlier in the week, was the hot topic of discussion on this week's episode of the GolfMagic Podcast hosted by Harry Benjamin.

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This guy’s suing you and your tour, his lawyers served you a subpoena literally on Christmas, he flicked LIV Golf tee at you after you ignored him…so, are you ready to make amends?
One of the weirdest press conference clips of all time. pic.twitter.com/VZePbtu2YG
— Dan Rapaport (@Daniel_Rapaport) January 25, 2023

Here's what Andy Roberts, GolfMagic Editor, had to say on the matter:

"I mean, Patrick Reed might say he's 100% certain he can see his ball, but I don't know how given he was looking up the wrong tree.

"It's quite incredible. If you slow the video footage down, which Brandel Chamblee has done on the Golf Channel, it looks as though the ball has gone into the very first tree.

"Reed is looking up at the third tree, which is 10 yards in front of the one where we believe his golf ball is in. He's seen six golf balls up there. He's called the ref over, and they're both looking up with binoculars.

"Reed is going 'there are my ball markings up in the tree'. How can he see his ball markings from there? They've got to be bloody good binoculars to see something that is 60 feet in the air and fully wedged into a tree. How can you possibly have 100% certainty that that is your Pro V1 golf ball, I don't understand.

"For me, he has conned the referee into saying his golf ball is up in that tree. Watch the replay again, it's in the first tree. There is no way his ball is in that third tree.

"Has he gained an advantage? Not really, but if he's not identified that golf ball then he's going back to the tee to play his third shot, so you could say he has saved himself one shot.

"In the grand scheme of things, it ultimately did not matter [as he lost by one shot to Rory McIlroy], but it could have done.

"But for me, to say '100% certainty', I'm not buying that at all."

'Treegate' has since taken an explosive turn after what Reed's playing partner Matt Wallace had to say about such ball markings.

Other DP World Tour pros have also since hit out at Reed following the controversial rules incident.

Matt Chivers, GolfMagic Tour Writer, was equally unimpressed by Reed's actions but admitted this is what makes him 'Box Office' viewing on Tour whether people like it or not.

"It's staggering how many rules controversies he's been involved in now, it's more than most.

"It was almost comical how it was another Patrick Reed rules dispute.

"But this is the reason, whether rightly or wrongly, is why Reed is Box Office.

"That's probably why LIV Golf wanted to sign him, as well as being a very good player and a major champion."

The GolfMagic team was joined on the podcast this week by Challenge Tour pro Gary Boyd, who had a comical take on the Reed incident:

"Patrick obviously needs to go to Specsavers, doesn't he?!

"It's a difficult one. He thinks he has seen his ball. He had a very experienced referee alongside him in Kevin Feeney, who is a great guy, so if he thinks it's his ball then it's his ball.

"But it's hard when what happened three years ago at the Hero World Challenge... he has a bit of a reputation for what happened there, and it's pulled him along the way.

"Did he gain an advantage from where it was? Not really, it was pretty much by the same tree [where it actually went in].

"This game is obviously based on integrity and honesty, I don't know, I wasn't there but I think he was lucky he had marshals there to see it go into the tree in the first place. If I had been playing, I probably wouldn't have had such luck."

Boyd also spoke to the GolfMagic team about his relationship with LIV Golf's Ian Poulter having been mentored by him earlier in his career.

The Englishman also addressed his fears for the Official World Golf Ranking system, which also came under fire by Phil Mickelson last night.

On top of revealing his excitement to get his Challenge Tour season underway in South Africa this week, Boyd also spoke about having Soccer Saturday football pundit Alan McInally regularly on his golf bag.

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