19 February 2024 , 16:28
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Eddie Pepperell has poked fun at Patrick Reed for falling outside the top 100 rankings after his decision to join LIV Golf.
Reed was a former World No. 5, a Masters champion and a multiple PGA Tour winner, but according to stats account @VC606 he is expected to drop outside the top 100 this week. Players do not receive ranking points for their tournaments in LIV Golf, after the Official World Golf Ranking denied them accreditation in October 2023.
Pepperell and Reed have shared beef in the past, and it's been reignited after a cheeky comment. While Pepperell admitted that Reed is still a great player, he joked that he could threaten legal action due to his new ranking. "Terrific player still," Pepperell wrote on X about the news. "Let's hope he doesn't sue the OWGR."
The comment references Reed's $750 million defamation lawsuit attempt aimed at members of the golf media. Not only was the case cleared, Reed was made to cover legal costs of the journalists and publications he sued.
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Pepperell called Reed a "f****** clown" when he heard about the lawsuit. Reed has also been called out by Pepperell in the past, especially when he was accused of cheating back in 2018 at the Hero World Challenge.
"What the F were you thinking?" Pepperell wrote on X at the time. Reed joined LIV Golf in 2022, when a wave of golfers made the jump to the Saudi-backed tour and abandoned the PGA Tour.
Reed has earned over $18 million since switching to LIV in June 2022, an immense amount of money regardless of his OWGR ranking. But Reed insists he didn't make the career move for money, writing in a caption on Instagram : "The team element is one of my favourite parts. We’ve got camaraderie and competition in the same tournament.
"There’s a list of great things to love! Even playing Friday-Sunday adds to the ease. If you haven’t attended, there are just a few left this season, and I really think fans of this sport are sure to enjoy. IYKYK."
But Pepperell has stayed loyal to the DP Tour, being renamed from the European Tour for sponsorship reasons. He has watched LIV Golf and tried to get behind it, but still finds the whole concept "cringe" after watching winning celebrations.
"I tried, sincerely, I just tried to watch this and feel something genuine. Joy, inspiration, something," Pepperell wrote on X in response to a video of Bryson DeChambeau celebrating the 2023 LIV Golf Team Championship. "And I just cringed. It’s just all cringe, the whole show, the teams, the individuals. Hate to s*** on something but honestly, it’s just so far away from being compelling."