Just days after Patrick Reed claimed the PGA Tour painted him as golf’s bad guy, a viral video attempted to show a softer side of the polarizing star. Just in April, in an episode of LIV Golf’s YouTube series, the 2018 Masters champion voiced his discontent, saying, “I mean they painted me as a villain, which hey I don’t mind being the guy that goes in to try to wreck everyone’s day… but I felt like whenever I did something successful or did the things that really meant a lot to me, those kind of got brushed underneath the table ‘cause they wanted to keep me in that one role.”  Reed added that trying to please everyone is a “crazy” pursuit and said he’s been boxed into a narrative he didn’t deserve.

Reed has had a complicated reputation ever since his college days. At the University of Georgia, he faced accusations of cheating during team qualifiers and was dismissed from the team amid separate allegations of theft. Later at Augusta State, questions lingered about him allegedly shaving strokes on scorecards. Those suspicions only grew louder after a 2019 rules violation at the Hero World Challenge, where Reed was caught on camera twice improving his lie in a waste area—resulting in a two-stroke penalty. In 2023 at the Dubai Desert Classic, another controversy arose when Reed identified his ball in a tree—despite video evidence suggesting otherwise. Though not always penalized, the pattern raised eyebrows.

Which is why, when LIV Golf Nation posted a video on X last week captioned “Patrick Reed is such a class act!”—showing Reed graciously signing autographs and smiling with fans—the reactions were far from unanimous.

“Class act” or classic villain? Fans sound off

Some viewers took the post at face value. “LIV guys love the fans always!!!” one supporter wrote, praising Patrick Reed and his peers for their accessibility. Another cheered, “Captain America! 🇺🇸🚂⛳️🔥 Took down the hobbit Rors,” referencing Reed’s electric Ryder Cup moment against Rory McIlroy in 2016. One fan added, “Yes he is. 👏👏👍🏻” while another shared a personal moment: “We love @PReedGolf👍 saw him at the event in Tucson, great guy.”

But for some fans, the post fell flat.  Perhaps the most biting response came from a viewer who bluntly stated: “Class acts don’t cheat at golf….multiple times!” That comment drew clear reference to Reed’s past—the Hero World Challenge incident, the tree drop in Dubai, and the unresolved whispers from his college years. Each has added to the public’s skepticism, even as Reed continues to deny any wrongdoing. Other commenters weren’t any gentler: “LIV will never compete with the PGA Tour players.”

In the end, the video did more than just show Reed in a positive light—it reignited the debate about his legacy. For every fan willing to embrace “Captain America,” there are others still tallying the past. Whether the villain label fades or sticks may depend less on handshakes and more on actions that speak louder than camera clips.