The 2018 Ryder Cup in Paris ended up being a real disaster for the United States and something that happened involving Jordan Spieth and Patrick Reed typified their struggles.
Spieth and Reed were two of the 12 American players led by their captain, Jim Furyk, who traveled to Le Golf National in Paris to take on the European team for the 42nd edition of the Ryder Cup.
The United States have assembled a pretty strong team for the clash with Europe at Bethpage Black later this month, but neither Spieth nor Reed will be there.
There is a feeling that Keegan Bradley’s side could be lacking a certain kind of spark in the team room as a result.
Spieth said Reed holing out on the sixth hole at the 2016 Ryder Cup led to the loudest roar he has ever heard since playing at the highest level of the game.
So Spieth was clearly a fan of Reed back then.
However, that goodwill between the players must have turned sour not long after.
How Jordan Spieth reacted when asked to be Patrick Reed’s Ryder Cup partner
Brandel Chamblee has been speaking about the upcoming Ryder Cup at Bethpage Black.
Attention turned to how the Europeans seem to have a certain kind of organic team spirit that the US side simply don’t have.
And, according to Chamblee, that is helped by the fact that they have more players who are simply more passionate about playing in the Ryder Cup.
When speaking on the Favorite Chamblee Podcast, the well-known golf analyst highlighted how Europe have historically had a long list of passionate players to whom the Ryder Cup means everything.
He said: “Europe has loads and loads of players who have provided that passionate spark, including Colin Montgomerie, Seve, Ian Poulter.
Chamblee was then asked if Reed is someone who can be discussed in the same breath as those three players mentioned above.
The former PGA Tour player said: “He was charged up, but he was a tough fit,“ he said. “If you go back to 2018, nobody wanted to play with him. Jordan Spieth did not want to play with him.
“Everybody wanted to play with Colin Montgomerie, everybody wanted to play with Seve, everybody wanted to play with Poulter, nobody wanted to play with Patrick Reed.
“Jordan was like, ‘I don’t want to play with him’. So they put him with Tiger Woods and they got beat.“
That is a damning indictment of how Reed is viewed by his peers, but has the LIV golfer been unfairly given a bad rap?
What happened when Spieth and Reed were partners at the 2016 Ryder Cup
Interestingly, Spieth and Reed partnered up together in all of the foursomes and four-ball sessions during the 2016 Ryder Cup at Hazeltine.
They won two, halved one and lost one, and seemed like a great pairing.
The two players vibed with each other really well. It wouldn’t have been possible for them to take 2.5 points from four matches had they not gelled with one another.
So Spieth apparently refusing to play with Reed just two years later does seem to be rather strange to say the least.
Something must have happened during the course of the two years between Hazeltine and Le Golf National.
Either that or Spieth’s reaction to being asked to partner Reed at the 2018 Ryder Cup has been blown out of all proportion.
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