If you have watched golf in the past two years, then you know the name Patrick Reed. In fact, as you read that name, you probably are shaking your head, or just muttered something to yourself. Just seven months ago, Reed was putting on his first green jacket after capturing the 2018 Masters tournament for his first Major. This was primed to be his breakout season, especially with the Ryder Cup coming later in the year. Fast forward to September–Reed’s poor Ryder Cup performance and subsequent shit-talking helped him achieve the #1 spot in the US golf world hate rankings, even more than Ian Poulter!

Controversy is nothing new for Patrick Reed. In college, Reed got kicked off the team at Georgia, before transferring to Augusta State. In November of 2014, he missed a putt and cursed himself out loudly, allowing a nearby camera crew to pick up the audio. The direct quote was “Nice f–king three-putt, you f–king f—ot.” Classy, right? In July of 2018, Reed had a camera crew moved away from a hole because the cameraman was jingling change in his pocket, seriously. More recently, after losing the Ryder Cup, Reed criticized his teammates and captain Jim Furyk. Instead of trying to repair the Reed/US relationship, there is a simple solution: Patrick Reed should forfeit his American citizenship and become a European citizen.

I know, it doesn’t sound simple. The thought of it made no sense at first, but just hang on. There are a lot of benefits to this, on both sides. Reed is no stranger to Europe. He has played 43 events on the European Tour since 2015, and two Ryder Cups on European courses (PGA Centenary Course in 2014, LeGolf National in 2018). There are plenty of players that currently play on both tours, so Reed should not having a problem getting into most PGA Tour events.

Let’s dive into some positives:

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Pros

The Money – Patrick Reed makes more per event on the European Tour. From 2015-2018, Reed has played in 110 events on the PGA tour, and earned over $17M — 157.5K per event. During that same time, Reed has played 43 events on the European Tour, earning over $7.8M. Reed averaged $182k per event, $24.5k more per event (+14%).

Playing Against Speith – Jordan Speith played with Justin Thomas instead of Patrick Reed in the 2018 Ryder Cup, and Reed did not like that very much at all (though he got to partner with Tiger FREAKING Woods, his child-hood idol). Reed can still play against his old Ryder Cup partner at most PGA events, and you know there will be plenty of awkwardness. Let’s hope they both are paired up together on a Sunday .

Future Ryder Cups – Patrick Reed earned his “Captain America” nickname from his performances at previous Ryder Cups. (His battle against Rory in 2016 is legend–wait for it–dary). The Ryder Cup just seems to mean more to Europe. If Reed plays more events on the European Tour, he can potentially qualify for future European Ryder Cup teams. According to the European Tour website, the team is comprised of the first four players from the Euro points list. Reed has never had a problem making the Ryder Cup for the USA, so there should not be an issue making the European team (aside from the whole citizenship issue…more ideas on that later).

USA Fans Can Still Root Against Him – Currently, plenty of American golf fans root against Patrick Reed, despite his heritage and previous Ryder Cup heroics. Even his fellow golfers don’t like him — PGA Tour member Kevin Kisner just ripped him a new one in a new SI.com piece. If Reed becomes a European citizen, the USA fans can continue rooting against him, but this time they won’t be rooting against their own country.

Wine and Cigars – According to an article in 2015, Patrick Reed’s perfect night includes a cigar, great bottle of wine, and a steak, cooked medium-rare. Well, Europe is the PERFECT place for Reed to go. While most American’s will argue about the steaks, most people would agree that wine is better from Europe, and Europe is well known for cigars.

Nike – Reed should not have any issues staying sponsored by Nike, as there are plenty of European players that are sponsored by Nike. Though it is interesting to think how Nike could market this. 

Becoming a European Hero – Reed can become part of the European golf resurgence, joining Fleetwood and Molinari. He could potentially be welcomed as a hero: the man who turned his back on his own country to represent Europe and defeat his former country. (Hollywood producers lining up to make that movie.)

Rory Moving to PGA Tour – Reports are that Rory McIlroy will focus more on the PGA Tour in 2019, which leaves an opening for Reed to get his foot in the door for more European Tour events.  

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Of course, thanks to Sir Isaac Newton’s 3rd Law of Success, we all know that for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction. After going over the pros of this potential decision, let’s dive into the cons.

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Cons

Less Patrick Reed Drama – Regardless of what we all say, we love drama. If Reed moves to the European tour and becomes a European citizen, he will be effectively out of the American news cycle. In all fairness, this could be a positive.

European Style – Most Europeans are fit and small, and Patrick Reed is…not. While golf attire won’t be an issue, finding everyday clothes that fit Reed might be one. I suggest getting in contact with Jon Rahm.

Becoming a European Citizen – This is clearly the biggest hurdle to overcome. The quickest way become a citizen is “citizenship by descent”. That process takes anywhere from six months to two years, but you have to imagine some strings can be pulled. The surname Reed derives from England, and some Reed’s moved to Ireland. Perhaps there are some Reeds in England or Ireland that Patrick can connect with (though he currently doesn’t talk to his immediate family, so this might be tough).

He’s Good – Despite everything that has been said about Patrick Reed, he’s still very good at golf. He is only 28 years old, has six PGA tour wins, and a Ryder Cup record of 7-3-2. He’s qualified for the Ryder Cup three times, and Presidents Cup twice. Patrick Reed will win more tournaments, regardless if we like him or not. Losing Reed would be tough on the American side, but there are plenty of players ready to step up. 

_{Note: Article was originally published with incorrect data. Patrick Reed has six PGA tour wins.}

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