‘Jordan Spieth Didn’t Want to..’: Patrick Reed’s Old Wounds Are Reopened by Brandel Chamblee

As the Ryder Cup approaches Bethpage, tensions are rising over team selections and the US squad’s lack of passion. On The Favorite Chamblee podcast, Brandel Chamblee revisited past controversies, spotlighting Patrick Reed and the friction within the 2018 US team.

The US Team’s faltering team chemistry has been a long-standing subject for debate. Some insiders even claimed that the Europeans care more about the event than the American team. Following the narrative, Chamblee added how he felt only Captain Keegan Bradley brings the same fiery passion for the event as the Europeans. “He’s added passion. He’s probably the most passionate. Maybe Paul Azinger is in there, but probably that, you know, there’s some Lanny Watkins, Corey Pavan, but in most recent memory in the last 25-20 years, he’s the most passionate Ryder Cup player on the US side.” Bradley’s fiery celebrations portray just that. In fact, Bradley was disappointed when he got left out in 2023.

Reflecting on his Ryder Cup experiences, Bradley added, “I loved every second of it,” speaking volumes about his emotional connection to the Ryder Cup. In contrast, Chamblee shared, “Europe’s got loads and loads and loads of players that have provided these passionate sparks from Seve to Colin Montgomery to obviously Ian Poulter.” That sparked a question from his wife, Bailey Chamblee.

She chimed in: “What about on the US side? Patrick Reed, Captain America, I mean, he was pretty charged up.” This laid the grounds for a revisit down the historical lane. “He was, but he was a tough fit,” Brandel Chamblee was quick to explain the complicated locker room dynamics back in the 2018 Ryder Cup. “If you go to 2018, you know nobody wanted to play with him. Jordan Spieth did not want to play with him, but you know, everybody wanted to with Colin Montgomery. Everybody wanted to play with Seve. Everybody wanted to play with him. Nobody wanted to play with Patrick Reed.”

Although Spieth himself made no official statements regarding his decision to go with Justin Thomas instead, other players cited Reed’s abrasive behavior and individualistic approach as the cause for tension. Jordan Spieth‘s harsh denial raised the team’s internal tension. “Jordan was like, I don’t want to play with him. So they put him with Tiger Woods and tiger and him didn’t do well. They got beat.” This goes on to show the long-standing cracks in the US team, evident in Europe’s dominance in the Ryder Cup in this century.

Solidifying his argument, Chamblee shared, “So, the US has just had a hard time finding a spark. And maybe the spark is Keegan Bradley and maybe the further spark is him sitting on the sideline.” It is clear from Chamblee’s take that if the US Team wants to flip the game at Bethpage this year, Bradley would have to work the internal relationships more than anything.

Feuds among the players show on the course, and Bradley is well aware of this. Before the 2021 Ryder Cup, written by slow-play criticisms and social media jabs, Brooks Koepka and Bryson DeChambeau’s feud raised concerns over the team’s integrity. However, squashing the beef, the US secured a dominant win. Apparently, Team US took a lesson after 2018. Now, it’s up to Bradley to carry that forward this year.

Chamblee shares the ‘sparks’ for the US Team, apart from Keegan Bradley

Brandel Chamblee believes there are a few other golfers who bring just the spark that the US Team needs. One of them is Maverick McNealy. Despite not being on the team, Chamblee shared how he stood as a better argument against Patrick Reed. “I look at Maverick as, you know, one of the I think he’s a leader. I think he’s one of the brightest people in the game of golf.” Elected as the co-chairman of the PGA Tour’s Player Advisory Council in 2025, and set to join the PGA Tour Policy Board in 2026, the stats back the claim.

Moreover, Chamblee remarked that Bradley’s verdict against playing captaincy this year came as an obvious fact soon after he started initializing the field. Keegan Bradley picked Justin Thomas, Colin Morikawa, and Ben Griffin. But then he skipped the 10th, 11th, 12th, and 13th players on the standings to pick Cameron Young instead. “When he went to Cameron Young, you know that he wasn’t going to pick himself because he was obviously going to pick Patrick Cantlay and he was obviously going to pick Sam Burns.” On Bradley’s part, it was a strategic decision, pocketing Burns for his incredible short game. Young brought power off the tee. Whether leaving himself out was the right decision is controversial. However, Bradley explained he wanted to keep himself focused on fostering team chemistry. Given the team’s long-standing tension, this is a non-negotiable.

Chamblee remarked how these players stood a chance at bringing Ryder Cup glory to the US Team when stacked against Reed in terms of ‘spark’. Whether these players would be able to bring that passion into Bethpage is still up for grabs at the moment.