Reed accepted a two-stroke penalty at the Hero World Challenge, but denied deliberately cheatinggetty images
Golfer Patrick Reed had his attorney send a "cease and desist letter" to Golf Channel analyst Brandel Chamblee demanding that he "not repeat accusations that the former Masters champion cheated at the Hero World Challenge last month," according to Eamon Lynch of GOLFWEEK. Chamblee has been a "vocal critic" of Reed's "hugely controversial actions at the Hero, where video showed him twice scooping sand from behind his ball to practice swings in a bunker." Reed was "penalized two strokes by rules officials, but denied deliberately cheating." Lynch noted the letter was "dated and received by Chamblee on Dec. 13." Sullivan & Worcester partner Peter Ginsberg, Reed's attorney, in the letter cited a Dec. 9 appearance on Golf Channel in which Chamblee "heavily criticized Reed's conduct." Ginsberg's letter stated that Chamblee "implied Reed was also guilty of improper conduct in the past," referencing allegations that Reed cheated and stole while in college. Ginsberg described those allegations as "demonstrably false." Chamblee said of the situation, "My job is to be accurate in my analysis and I weigh my words heavily. Nothing I said on the air did I say flippantly" (GOLFWEEK.com, 1/9).
