Patrick Reed knows getting called out by fans like the back of his hand. You see, even over the most minuscule subjects, Reed has often faced criticism from the netizens. Be it wearing shorts while practicing, or getting heckled on the course amidst a patriotic showdown. He, however, has never let it get to him. He likes to focus on his game.

At the 2025 US Open, he had a decent first day. A bit of mixed-up day, we’d say. 5 bogeys, 1 triple bogey, 2 birdies, and 1 albatross later, Reed ended the day at T49. However, it was that albatross on the 4th hole that “wiped three of them off”. He meant strokes when he said it. With this stunning shot, Reed joined an elite list of golfers like T.C. Chen (1985), Shaun Micheel (2010), and Nick Watney (2012) as the only 4 players in history to score an albatross in the U.S. Open. So, when a reporter asked him how he felt, it was nothing less than “awesome.”

He spoke candidly, “Oh, it’s awesome. That’s great. But I mean, it’s kind of one of those things that after you finish with a triple, that’s really the last thing you’re really thinking about.” Despite being happy about achieving the amazing feat, he was still realistic about what Oakmont has to offer. Reed also added, “Anytime you’re out of position, the golf course just gets really challenging,” suggesting that the course in Pennsylvania can punish anyone who tries to play a little risky to gain an advantage. Rory McIlroy was a great example of the same as he experienced a series of over-par scores later in the day despite getting a decent start on Thursday.

Coming back to the conversation with Patrick Reed, the journalists tried to dig deep into his mental state after the first round. They asked, “Does that make it better, like you’re getting the crowd reaction as opposed to actually seeing the shot, or would you rather it be the other way around?” Considering his popularity with the fans, or the lack thereof, Reed still had to rely on the attendees to confirm if his ball had sunk for Albatross.

The 34-year-old confessed what he would have rather preferred: “I’d love to see it go in. It’s always fun watching the ball disappear. But hey, as long as it disappears, that’s all that matters. I don’t care if you see it or not. As long as it goes in the hole, that’s all I really care about.” Looks like the years of ignorance have finally taught Patrick Reed a lesson. And he doesn’t seem to care about whether the fans react to his stroke, as his primary goal is to deliver great performances and try to win another event.

It’s worth noting that he did mention that sinking the ball is more important than anything, as that is what gets the results. But does his performance at Oakmont Country Club justify that statement?

Patrick Reed’s first 18 holes in the 2025 U.S. Open

18 holes in and Patrick Reed has already experienced a roller coaster of a ride. He started the round with a second-hole bogey. The LIV golfer got that outstanding albatross on the 4th and a couple of birdies throughout the day. But it was his bag of errors that dropped him down the leaderboard. Apart from the one on the 2nd hole, Reed had 4 more bogeys and a triple bogey to go 8-over. If it wasn’t for his stroke of luck on the 4th hole and the birdies, he would have finished the round at T123.

Despite that, the overall stats of the Texans were still quite impressive. He was ranked 9th in putting and was better than the average field in driving range. However, Reed’s accuracy off the tee can’t be commended as he only hit 5 of the 14 fairways throughout the day. That’s a 36% success rate, which is worse than McIlroy, who sits below him on the leaderboard with 1 additional stroke. It’s fair to say that Patrick Reed will really need to pump up his game if he wishes to play the weekend rounds at Oakmont Country Club.