Golf fans have hit out at the perceived “double standards” around the Patrick Reed controversy after the American was accused of cheating in the PGA Tour’s Farmers Insurance Open.
Reed shrugged off a rules furore in the third round to claim a runaway five-shot victory in the tournament at Torrey Pines.
The 2018 Masters champion closed with a four-under 68, making an eagle on the par-5 sixth and finishing off his ninth PGA Tour title with a birdie on the 18th as he finished 14 under.
However, the American has been widely condemned in the golfing world after once again being accused of cheating after taking “embedded ball” relief in a third round incident that has divided fans.
Reed has been cleared by the PGA Tour over a controversy that erupted on Saturday when he picked up his ball to see if it was embedded before a rules official arrived and he received a free drop.
Replays showed Reed’s ball had bounced before sinking into deep rough, which he later admitted would suggest it didn’t embed, but no one was aware of that at the time.
Reed, who has had rules-related issues in the past, including at the 2019 Hero World Challenge, faced several media questions about it afterward and said he believed he handled the matter properly, given what he knew. Tour officials agreed.
