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Nine-time PGA Tour winner Patrick Reed claims he was subject to an onslaught of criticism while playing on the Tour which led to a "hostile workplace environment," spearheaded by longtime commentator Brandel Chamblee and Golf Channel, according to a $750 million defamation lawsuit filed earlier this week.
The lawsuit, filed in the Southern District of Texas on Tuesday, laid out Reed’s complaint against Chamblee and Golf Channel in which he accuses both parties of "acting in concert with and as agents on behalf" the PGA Tour, the DP World Tour and their commissioners to defame Reed and with a recent focus on his decision to play on the LIV Golf circuit.
Patrick Reed walks across the tenth green during day three of the LIV Golf Invitational - Bedminster at Trump National Golf Club Bedminster in Bedminster, New Jersey, on July 31, 2022. (Jared C. Tilton/LIV via Getty Images)
"It is well-known on tour that Mr. Reed has been abused and endured more than any other golfer from fans or spectators who have been allowed to scream obscenities only to be glorified by NBC’s Golf Channel for doing so, because it gets Defendants Chamblee and Golf Channel ‘clicks,’ viewership, ratings and increased revenue. For Defendants it does not matter how badly they destroy someone’s name and life, so long as they rake in more dollars and profit," the lawsuit read.
Reed’s lawsuit includes examples of several of the taunts, including personal attacks on his family and references to cheating, that he was allegedly subjected to by fans, claiming they "harmed his performance at tournaments and events."
"You f---ing suck!" "beat the cheater's a--," "You cheat in college and on tour and you’re a piece of s---!" and "You piece of s---" were just some insults listed in the document.
"This is just a sampling of what Defendants maliciously and intentionally caused and furthered with actual malice. These personal attacks occur frequently while Mr. Reed is actively preparing to make his golf shot, or during the golf shot, much less thereafter as he is walking to his next golf shot, as well as lining up and making putts on the green, which putts require a high degree of concentration," the lawsuit claimed.
Patrick Reed plays his shot from the 15th tee during day one of the LIV Golf Invitational - Bedminster at Trump National Golf Club Bedminster in Bedminster, New Jersey, on July 29, 2022. (Cliff Hawkins/Getty Images)
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The primary focus of the lawsuit claims that Chamblee and the Golf Channel acted as "agents" of the PGA Tour and the DP World Tour to defame and smear those associated with LIV Golf "in order to try to maintain their monopolistic hold on professional golf."
The lawsuit cites several remarks from Chamblee commenting on Reed and others' involvement in the Saudi-backed circuit and its relation to "blood money," "sportswashing" and aligning themselves "with a tyrannical murderous leader."
The "4 Aces" team celebrates with champagne after winning the team competition during a ceremony after the final round of the Bedminster Invitational LIV Golf tournament in Bedminster, N.J., on July 31, 2022. From left, Pat Perez, Talor Gooch, Patrick Reed and Dustin Johnson. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)
However, the defamation case alleges these are false and harmful statements, comparing the situation to that of LeBron James and the NBA over its ties to the Chinese government:
"This would be akin to stating that LeBron James has aligned himself with a ‘tyrannical, murderous leader’ because he plays in the National Basketball Association (‘NBA’) which has intricate ties to the People’s Republic of China, whose government is accused of a current and ongoing genocide against the Muslim Uyghur people."
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The lawsuit follows the decision of a federal judge in California who denied a temporary restraining order filed by three former PGA Tour players seeking an injunction to play in the FedEx Cup playoffs last week. The Tour argued that lifting the suspensions of the golfers and allowing them to play would "change the status quo" for the PGA Tour and "give them a fabulous platform" to promote the LIV tour while competing in a PGA event.
It stemmed from an antitrust lawsuit filed earlier this month by Phil Mickelson and nine other LIV golfers that claimed the PGA Tour’s indefinite suspensions were aimed at hurting their careers.
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