PATRICK REED is the Masters champion who has been branded golf’s “most hated man”.
After allegations of cheating, stealing, homophobic slurs, nearly getting kicked out of two universities and alcohol offences, Reed is golf’s new panto villain.
The brash 27-year-old labelled himself Captain America for his Ryder Cup heroics and was unstoppable as he claimed his first Major.
But Reed is more than just a plain bad guy, with a doting wife and acting as a caring dad, he is determined to do it his way.
Reed won the green jacket at Augusta last night as he fended off Yankee darlings Jordan Spieth and Rickie Fowler.
But it was as a student at Augusta State University where, within weeks of arriving, he was suspended from the golf team for “violations of team rules”.
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Prior to that he was ousted from the University of Georgia after being arrested for underage drinking and being in possession of a fake ID, according to a book about him.
In an interview with the Golf Channel, the new sporting superstar admitted he had been dismissed for “alcohol violations” .
MASTERPLAN Reed shows nerves of steel to win Masters after seeing off charging Fowler
But he has always strongly denied accusations he stole around £300 and a luxury Scotty Cameron putter.
One former golf coach also claimed that he tried to gain an advantage by playing the wrong ball in a tournament. Again this is an accusation Reed vehemently denies to this day.
Even before he was one of the game’s biggest stars Reed was letting everyone know how good he thought he was.
In 2014 he famously said he belonged in the world’s top five despite never having even played in a Major at that point.
And it was that same year he was caught saying the vile homophobic slur, “Nice f***ing three-putt, you f***ing f****t” after a missed putt at a tournament in Shanghai.
Father-of-two Reed apologised for the shocking outburst that tarnished his image.
But he has done little to try win back fans since.
He was rounded on by Europeans after telling them to shush during the 2014 Ryder Cup.
He said New Yorkers were obnoxious.
And even in the glow of his Masters win, one social media user branded him “Fatrick” and another said, “Cheaters sometimes win. Sad”.
Former Ryder Cup captain Paul Azinger reckons Reed, married to wife Justine, revels in being disliked.
He said: “He dubbed himself Captain America. He embraces that villain.
“It doesn’t matter what anybody thinks. It’s a game where you’re isolated.
“I think a lot of players respect Reed but the fans wanted Rickie [Fowler] or Rory [McIlroy] or [Jordan] Spieth to win the Masters.”
On top of all this, Reed can expect little support from his nearest and dearest.
His younger sister Hannah called him a “selfish, horrible stranger” after he picked up a £1.1million cheque for winning the Barclays Championship in September 2016.
She posted on Facebook some alleged “truths” about her estranged brother, saying that he is “not the same person he used to be”.
She wrote that he was “continuing to play the victim”, and said that the money he was earning was “based off lies”.
Will American Reed dominate golf for years to come? Here is how he has done so far...
Born: San Antonio, Texas on August 5, 1990
Nickname: Captain America
Height 6ft 0in
Weight: 14st
Turned pro: 2011
PGA Tour wins: 6
European Tour wins: 1
Best result Masters: WINNER (2018)
Best result US Open: T13 (2017)
Best result The Open: T12 (2016)
Best result PGA Championship: T2 (2017)
Reed has also cut all ties with dad Bill and mum Jeannette after Justine reportedly got them kicked out of the US Open two years earlier.
And in 2015 he was voted by fellow PGA Tour pros the second most disliked player.
The first? Bubba Watson – the first player to congratulate Reed on his Masters win.
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