Golf.com European Tour Anonymous Survey: Patrick Reed is Arrogant

Golf.com’s Adam Schupak asked several European Tour players some questions that they answered anonymously, and while some of the answers may come as a surprise, others seem to be right in line with the public’s thinking.

There’s plenty of questions in the post, which you can see at Golf.com, but here are a few of the juicy ones.

ARE U.S. FANS GENERALLY LESS KNOWLEDGEABLE THAN EUROPEAN FANS?

Yes: 35%
No: 65%

HOT TAKES

“No, just louder.”
“No, we go to some places where the fans are clueless.”
“About golf or about beer?”
“Yes, Americans know less about Europeans than Euros know about American players.”

ARE U.S. FANS GENERALLY LESS RESPECTFUL THAN EURO FANS?

Yes: 52%
No: 48%

HOT TAKES

“American fans are just crazier.”
“The difference is American golf attracts more sports fans whereas Europe attracts more golf fans.”

Apparently Rory McIlroy is no good. I mean the guy has won four majors.

WHO IS THE BEST EUROPEAN TOUR PLAYER RIGHT NOW?

Justin Rose: 64%
Tommy Fleetwood: 24%
Francesco Molinari: 9%
Rory McIlroy: 3%

I find this one a little surprising considering how many European Tour players feel about the Open Championship.

WHICH MAJOR TITLE DO YOU MOST COVET?

The Masters: 59%
PGA Championship: 0%
U.S. Open: 3%
British Open: 38%

Plenty to digest regarding Patrick Reed. We know how he’s perceived by the public here in the states and while we’ve really only heard one PGA Tour player come out and state his thoughts on Reed, Euros didn’t hold back.

DESCRIBE PATRICK REED IN ONE WORD.

Arrogant: 20%
Misunderstood: 12%
Interesting/Confident: 8%

Also receiving votes:

Complicated, annoying, Patrick, passionate, selfish, different, self-centered, divisive, tough, fiery

I don’t think this one only applies to players, but the top two seem to be right in line with the public’s thinking.

WHICH AMERICAN PLAYER MOST IRRITATES YOU?

Bryson DeChambeau: 16%
Bubba Watson: 11%
Several tied (including Mickelson): 5%
Declined to answer: 68%

And, of course, the question of whether or not players are hitting the ball too far was asked. The answer comes as no surprise to me.

ARE YOU CONCERNED THAT TOUR PLAYERS ARE HITTING THE BALL TOO FAR?

Yes: 33%
No: 67%

Overall, the survey yielded some very interesting results, many of which I understand and some that were quite surprising to me.