GolfNewsRI

Surrounded by a dark cloud of controversy, Patrick Reed has won the 2021 Farmers Insurance Open. 

The win comes after a controversy filled third round in which Reed called over a rules official to look and see whether or not the ball was embedded in the rough. 

Watching on the CBS broadcast, it is clear that the ball bounces before sitting down in the deep grass. 

Reed then walks over to it, picks the ball up and moves it, before calling for a ruling. 

He tells the rules official that the ball did not bounce and the official accepts his version of the story. 

Reed is allowed a free drop, and then went on to save par. 

“When we got up there, first thing you do is you obviously ask, did you see the ball bounce, and if they say no, at that point I marked it to check to see if it was embedded. It definitely broke — looked like it broke the plane. So from that point, called the rules official over and the rules official comes over and he checks to make sure it’s broken the plane and he agreed. At that point we go and we take a, you know, embedded ball rule relief, which is one club length from the embedded ball and dropped the ball from there,” said Reed after the third round.

The PGA Tour has said that Reed did not do anything wrong in the process.

Multiple players and media types have criticized Reed on his handling of the situation.

GolfNewsRI has spoked to multiple local PGA pros, scratch golfers and weekend warriors, who also believe Reed did not handle the situation correctly.

Reed finished the tournament 14-under par, five shots ahead of Victor Hovland. 

It is Reed’s ninth career win.