‘He knows he’s doing something wrong’: Australia golfer Cam Smith calls out Tour golf cheat
It’s golf’s worst kept secret that American Patrick Reed is hugely unpopular with fans and peers and the polarising player has been called out for ‘cheating’.
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Cameron Smith has unloaded on golf’s most disliked player Patrick Reed after the American was busted ‘cheating’ at a warm up event for next week’s Presidents Cup, saying his lame excuse for breaking the rules was “bullshit”.
It’s golf’s worst kept secret that Reed is hugely unpopular both with fans and his fellow professionals so he’s been copping it from everyone after he was slapped with a two stroke penalty for twice moving the sand to improve his lie after hitting his ball into a greenside bunker at a tournament in the Bahamas.
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Patrick Reed gets busted cheating at the Hero World Challenge pic.twitter.com/r25cE6zenE
— Viral Sports (@NotScTop10plays) December 6, 2019
Close up shot of Patrick reed improving his lie #patrickreedcheater #HeroWorldChallenge pic.twitter.com/3TNmDgPLYT
— michelle cochrane (@mcochrane_1025) December 6, 2019
In a sport that prides itself on honesty and sticking to the rules, Reed’s insistence that he did nothing wrong and it was the camera angle that made him out to be a villain has only infuriated rival members of the International team that will face the U.S. at Royal Melbourne next week.
“I don’t have sympathy for anyone that cheats,” Smith fumed.
“If you make a mistake once maybe you can understand but to give a bit of a bullshit response like the camera angle, I mean, that’s pretty up there.
“I know Pat pretty good and he’s always been nice to me so I don’t want to say anything bad about him but for anyone that is cheating the rules, I’m not up for that.”
One of three Aussies on the International team, Smith’s sentiments echoed the blast his countryman Marc Leishman gave Reed when he said golf fans had all the ammunition they needed to roast the American next week.
“I hope the crowd absolutely gives it to not only him but everyone (on the U.S. team) next week,” Smith said.
“I really don’t care (what fans say) as long as they’re on our team but I’m sure if it did get out of hand I think definitely everyone on the international team might tell the guy to settle down a little bit, but we’ll wait and see.”
The International team’s assistant captain KJ Choi said he completely understood why the crowds would want to target Reed after he watched a replay of the incident on television.
“Professionals know the rules,” the South Korean said. “He knows he’s doing something wrong.
“I think the galleries and the spectators are going to be very angry.”
South African Louis Oosthuizen is also expecting Reed to be made public number enemy No. 1 at the Presidents Cup and reckons Reed’s own teammates will give it to him on the long flight to Australia.
“I’m pretty sure the boys have spoken to him already about it,” Oosthuizen said.
“I don’t think we’re going to spend much time on that but I think the crowd’s going to have a nice time with him.
“We’re focused on what we want to achieve and what we want to do he brought those things on himself so I can imagine he’s going to have a tough time next week.”