Looks like Patrick Reed’s latest legal venture has ended far from the fairway. How and why? Remember when, in August 2022, Patrick Reed filed a lawsuit against media members such as Brandel Chamblee and Golfweek by alleging that they were conspiring with the PGA Tour and Jay Monahan to “engage in a pattern and practice of defaming” him since he was 23 years old. His fear? Reed alleged that their goal was to “destroy his reputation, create hate and a hostile work environment for him, and with the intention to discredit his name and accomplishments.” The result?

As per Golfweek, the U.S. Court of Appeals upheld the dismissal of Patrick Reed’s defamation lawsuit against several golf media members and outlets, including Golfweek. A release from the United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit issued on Tuesday confirmed that the district court dismissed all defamation claims against the remaining defendants.

Patrick Reed originally filed the $750 million lawsuit in Texas in August 2022 and later refiled it in Florida the following month. The lawsuit named notable figures such as Golf Channel’s Damon Hack, Shane Bacon, and Eamon Lynch, along with Golfweek and its parent company, Gannett.

As stated above, the initial claims included conspiracy, defamation, injurious falsehood, and tortious interference, alleging that the defendants acted “in concert as joint tortfeasors.”  Reed even recounted a series of personal insults he encountered while playing, which he claimed were a result of the alleged defamation, including remarks like “You f–ing suck” and “You cheat in college and on tour and you’re a piece of s-it.”

Despite this, U.S. District Judge Timothy Corrigan dismissed the lawsuit in 2022 and reiterated this decision in 2023 in a detailed 78-page ruling. In May, Patrick Reed attempted to revive his case at a federal appeals court in Miami. According to a report from Courthouse News Service, Reed’s attorney argued that he has been unfairly portrayed, despite never being “determined to be a cheater.” 

The court’s statement on Tuesday noted: “Reed simply failed to plead facts that addressed the element of ‘actual malice’ in the context of defamation against a public figure, i.e., that any Defendant knew the statements they made were false or that they made them with reckless disregard as to their falsity. Thus, all his defamation claims fail, and the district court’s dismissal of each defamation claim against every remaining Defendant is affirmed.”

While Patrick Reed has yet to comment on this latest development, this isn’t the only LIV Golf pro lawsuit that has shaken the golf world in recent times.

Bryson DeChambeau & co. vs the PGA Tour drama

The legal battle between LIV Golf and the PGA Tour began when 11 players, including notable names like Phil Mickelson and Bryson DeChambeau, filed an antitrust lawsuit against the PGA Tour in August 2022. The players alleged that the PGA Tour’s suspensions for joining the Saudi-backed LIV Golf circuit constituted anticompetitive practices that restricted their ability to play where they chose. The lawsuit aimed to challenge the PGA Tour’s rules, which the players claimed were designed to maintain a monopoly over professional golf.

In response, the PGA Tour filed a countersuit, arguing that LIV Golf engaged in unfair competition. The Tour accused LIV of attempting to undermine its business model and interfere with its contracts with players. The litigation revealed various details, including accusations against Mickelson for recruiting players before LIV’s launch and claims that Augusta National sought to dissuade players from joining LIV.

As the legal proceedings unfolded, the PGA Tour achieved several early victories, including the denial of a temporary restraining order that would have allowed LIV players to compete in the FedEx Cup. However, the situation took a significant turn in June 2023 when the PGA Tour and LIV Golf, along with the Public Investment Fund of Saudi Arabia (PIF), announced a surprising partnership to form a new for-profit entity. This agreement included a provision to dismiss all pending litigation between the parties.

While high-profile legal showdowns are rare in golf, Reed’s case—and the broader LIV Golf legal battles—underscore just how much the sport’s landscape has changed in recent years.