Patrick Reed was booed by the crowd at LIV Golf UK on Sunday. The 33-year-old was taking part in the event at the JCB Golf and Country Club in Uttoxeter.
Reed made his way onto the party hole on the 14th at the venue. Fans jeered the divisive figure as he approached the tee.
LIV’s party hole is designed to encourage better fan interaction. There is a live DJ and player walk-on music.
But Reed was clearly unpopular with those in attendance as they booed his presence. Others, including Ian Poulter, were given much more positive receptions by members of the crowd. Fans burst into a rendition of ‘Walking in a Poulter Wonderland’, a play on Christmas song Winter Wonderland.
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But the negativity did not affect Reed. The American, a former Masters champion, seemed to enjoy the boos.
Reed is no stranger to hostility on the golf course and recent revealed why he thinks he is often jeered by fans. He told Golf.com: “The reason that all came about was because of me being vocal about feeling like I was one of the best players in the world when I won the [2014 WGC-Cadillac Championship].
“The top 69 guys were in that field. I had Tiger Woods in the group in front of me on Sunday. And I stared him down in red and black and end up winning the golf tournament against the best players.
“I think that was my third golf tournament I’d won in six, seven months. So through that period of time, yeah, I would have been one of the best players in the world. I probably shouldn’t have said something like that, but, hey, if you don’t believe in yourself, who else will?”
Earlier this week, Reed was heard complaining about the JCB course ahead of the competition. He was left unimpressed with the quality of the rough. LIV Golf posted a video of him throwing balls into the rough, where they would disappear.
“That’s just stupid,” he said. “Less than two yards off the green.”
Reed was one of the high-profile golf stars to join the breakaway Saudi Arabia-backed LIV Golf tour in 2022. He has earned just under £3.5million in prize money in 2024.
