In the aftermath of Patrick Reed‘s rules controversy at the Farmers Insurance Open, Xander Schauffele was among those who expressed disdain over the way the matter was handled and said “the talk amongst the boys isn’t great, I guess.”
Schauffele added: “But he’s protected by the (PGA) Tour. And that’s all that matters, I guess.”
Reed, who is playing the Saudi International this week after winning the Farmers for his ninth PGA Tour title on Sunday, said when he landed Monday after a 17-hour flight that he had a text message waiting from Schauffele.
“We’re all good,” he told reporters at Royal Greens Golf & Country Club, where the European Tour even begins Thursday. “We’re all good.”
Reed would not disclose the contents of the message, but said the two had exchanged their thoughts and “it’s one of those things that all you can do is try to do the right thing and from that point, move on.”
There was considerable scrutiny of Reed’s actions on the 10th hole Saturday, where he marked and picked up his ball in the rough before consulting a rules official to see if it was embedded. The PGA Tour said later that Reed handled the situation properly; he was awarded a free drop.
Television replays — which Reed did not see — later showed that his shot had bounced, meaning it was less like to embed in the turf. Reed had consulted a volunteer to ask if the ball had bounced or flown directly into the ground, and was told she did not see it bounce.
“Really, I’ve moved on from last week,” Reed said. “I’m trying to focus on this week and having a chance late Sunday to hopefully win another one.”