Ryder Cup: Who is Tiger Woods' fourballs partner Patrick Reed?
PATRICK REED will partner Tiger Woods for Team USA in the final fourball match in the opening Ryder Cup session and Express Sport brings you everything you need to know about the man nicknamed ‘Captain America’.
Ryder Cup: Team USA practice ahead of the tournament
Jim Furyk and Thomas Bjorn named their selections for Friday morning’s fourballs session at Thursday’s Ryder Cup opening ceremony.
Furyk’s selection means Reed and a rejuvenated Woods will take on Europe’s Tommy Fleetwood and Francesco Molinari at 7.55am.
If successful, Team USA captain Jim Furyk could partner Reed and Woods again in the afternoon foursomes.
Here’s everything you need to know about Reed ahead of this weekend’s showdown at Le Golf National.
RYDER CUP LIVE: UPDATES FROM DAY ONE AT LE GOLF NATIONAL
PATRICK REED
World Ranking
World Number 15
Age
28
PGA Tour wins
6
European Tour wins
2
Relationship with Tiger Woods
Tiger Woods is Reed’s favourite athlete.
Since he was a junior, Reed has copied Woods and worn red on Sunday’s like the 80-time PGA Tour winner.
After winning the Masters in April, Reed revealed he received a call from Woods.
“I got a call from Tiger," Reed told CNN.
"A lot of the guys have been sending a lot of text messages, just lots of support and it just shows how close a group we are on the PGA Tour and we're just one big family out there.
”Of (course you) want to win, but if someone else does we're there to support him and cheer him along."
Ryder Cup controversy
In 2014, Reed offered a "shush" gesture to heckling fans which has made him a ‘villain’ in the eyes of Team Europe supporters.
The 28-year-old Masters champion said: "(In 2014) just because when Henrik (Stenson), their guy, makes a putt, the crowd goes nuts, and then when I made the putt, I told them to shush, to quieten down.
“The match is only six holes in and we're only all square.
"There's no other event that you can do that at."
Previous Ryder Cup record
Reed has seven points from nine over the past two events.
It has earnt him the nickname ‘Captain America’ for his galvanising - and polarising - influence.
In 2014 and 2016 respectively, Reed won 3.5 points.
Reed shares Ryder Cup memories
Reed opened up on his first ever tee shot in the Ryder Cup.
"That was the worst tee shot I've hit in both my Ryder Cups throughout the entire tournaments. It was a 3-wood pitching wedge, if that,” Reed said.
"I go and step up on the tee, I get there and my adrenaline is just through the roof, and I look around and I feel like all the air has just got sucked out of the room when they announced us to hit.
"Yes, I skied it, but I hit the fairway and ended up halving the hole, but there's nothing like the first tee at a Ryder Cup. You step up on that first tee and just the thoughts that go through your mind that, 'hey, I'm here representing my country’."