Patrick Nathaniel Reed (born August 5, 1990) is an American professional golfer who plays on the PGA Tour and the European Tour. He is notable for his victories in the 2018 Masters Tournament and the 2014 WGC-Cadillac Championship. He has represented the United States in Ryder Cup and Presidents Cup competitions. Because of his success in representing the United States in these team events, he has earned the nickname Captain America.
Reed was born in 1990 in San Antonio, Texas. He graduated University High School in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. While there, he won the 2006 Junior Open Championship and also qualified for the U.S. Amateur in 2007. Reed led University High to state championships in 2006 and 2007, and also won the state medalist honors in 2007. He earned Rolex AJGA All-America honors in 2005, 2006, and 2007.
Reed started his college golf career in 2008 at the University of Georgia in Athens. While at Georgia, Reed had an arrest for underage drinking and possessing a fake ID. He pleaded guilty to the misdemeanor and was put on probation, fined and sentenced to 60 hours of community service. Reed was also accused of cheating. As Shane Ryan writes in his book Slaying The Tiger: “During a qualifying round prior to a tournament, according to sources close to the team, Reed hit a ball far into the rough. When he approached the spot, he found another ball sitting closer to the fairway, and was preparing to hit it when several of his teammates confronted him. Reed pleaded ignorance, but the other Georgia players were convinced he had been caught red-handed trying to cheat.” Ryan also detailed a second alcohol-related offense during Reed’s freshman year, which hastened the end of his career at Georgia. Reed left Georgia and enrolled at Augusta State University, where he majored in business. He helped lead Augusta State to NCAA Division I title in 2010 and 2011. Reed advanced to the semi-finals of the 2008 U.S. Amateur, where he lost 3&2 to eventual U.S. Amateur champion Danny Lee – the top-ranked amateur in the world. He won the 2010 Jones Cup Invitational.