Patrick Reed was leading the Hero World Challenge entering the third round on Friday. After his round, he trailed Gary Woodland (-13), Henrik Stenson (-12), Tiger Woods, Justin Thomas and Jon Rahm (-11).
Reed would have finished at 12-under with Stenson, but during the round he was caught by cameras improving his lie in a waste bunker on the 11th hole after his ball came to rest in a foot print.
Players are not required to rake waste bunkers after entering them.
Here’s the video:
Did reed improve his lie here? Looks like it to me. pic.twitter.com/yj3VgGYN1h
— Michael Shamburger (@mshamburger1) December 6, 2019
Now, since the rules have been updated, Reed is allowed to ground his club in the sand, but after grounding his club he used the head of it on a practice swing to improve his lie.
Rules officials reviewed the tape provided by Golf Channel and gave Reed a two-stroke penalty which sent his score up from 72 to 74.
The most interesting part of this is that Reed was caught doing the same thing in 2015, when it was a penalty to even make contact with the sand.
This video from 2015 seems to show Reed making a similar waste bunker practice swing… pic.twitter.com/Z0slkUUfyl
— Dylan Dethier (@dylan_dethier) December 6, 2019
While I would say that Tiger needs to make a decision on whether or not to keep Reed on the Presidents Cup team for this egregious act, I don’t believe that Woods will make a change this late.
Whatever happens moving forward, Reed will have everyone and their brother watching him very closely any time he enters a bunker.
