“Ralph Waldo Emerson once said, ‘To be great is to be misunderstood.’ And I often think I am greatly misunderstood.” For Patrick Reed, his name has long been synonymous with golf’s most polarizing figure. A paradox of immense talent, but often falling to public skepticism. Whether it’s the media portrayal or his own remarks, the self-proclaimed ‘Captain America’ lives as a ‘villain’ in the golf world. But if you ask those close to him, their answer does not match the headlines.

In a video posted by 4Aces Golf Club, Reed’s team members took it upon themselves to push back against the narrative that has for years clouded the LIV star. “Is Patrick Reed misunderstood? One hundred percent,” the video features. “You could say, he’s played the best on LIV,” says Dustin Johsnon (DJ). “The guy should have won an event up until this point. He loves to grind, he loves to practice,” chimes another.

Echoing the same, Harold Varner III puts it bluntly, “He grinds, he works a lot.” DJ, agreeing with him, adds on, “You know, he works probably harder than anybody.”

Contrary to all the surrounding perceptions, Reed’s teammates consider him a dedicated and disciplined grinder. The LIV star himself has at times shared his work ethic, which centres on deliberate discomfort. He places his golf balls in areas where it is difficult to make a shot. The idea is to be prepared for the worst-case scenario when actually faced with it in the course.

“Throughout all my practices, I try to be uncomfortable. You want to put yourself in uncomfortable situations,” he said once.

This shows the passion Reed holds for his sport. The word ‘grinder,’ which is what his colleagues use, fits aptly here. Because for Reed, too, he is one. “I’ve always grinded. I’m known to be a grinder and just you know work nonstop.”

“He’s the ultimate golf sicko,” says another member in the clip.

Part reason why he works nonstop is in an effort to prove himself. Although the 2018 Masters champion has nine PGA Tour titles, he had to wait a long time before securing a win on LIV. It took 41 starts and three full seasons before he finally broke through with his first individual LIV Golf title. A playoff win in Dallas this year silenced all his critics to a mumble.

“To get my first win here, part of LIV, it means so much to me,” Reed said afterward.

That win ended a frustrating stretch of close calls. Since joining LIV, he has registered 11 top-5 finishes, five of which have involved him on the podium. He was sixth in the ranks in 2023, but then went on a slump the next year, falling to 20th. This year, he finished the season seventh overall. He’s remained one of LIV’s most efficient players, leading the league in Strokes Gained: Short Approach (+0.54). Then on the PGA Tour side, he secured a solo third at the Masters.

Despite all this, his reputation carries a dark mark.

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Why is Patrick Reed hated so much?

“I think he’s got this old persona about him,” says Thomas Pieters.

For any LIV star, the list of criticisms is not new. They all have faced their share of scrutiny once they decided to switch sides from the PGA Tour. But for Patrick Reed, this narrative started long before he went with the Saudi-backed league. The most infamous controversy was the 2019 Hero World Challenge, when he was penalized two strokes for improving his lie in a sandy waste area. TV cameras caught him brushing the sand away. He defended himself, but the clip went viral, and his image as golf’s rule-bender was sealed.

It didn’t help when Brooks Koepka accused him of the same, also touching upon Reed’s overall behavioral pattern. His feud with Rory McIlroy also fueled this narrative.

That label has followed him ever since. Not just him, but it has plagued his family as well. Recently, Reed opened up about how it has impacted his children, with them being subjected to bullying at school.

Most of this gossip is due to his character. Commentators like Kevin Kisner claimed that everyone “hates” Reed. When it seemingly got too much, the LIV star filed a defamation suit against a bunch of people, including Brandel Chamblee.

“It feels like the media have painted me as this black hat, and they’ve just allowed that to keep on driving their clicks as well as the amount of income they can bring in from attacking me,” he said.

But no matter what others say, for his teammates, Reed is not the villain. He’s the driving force, and they’ve got his back.