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Patrick Reed's switch from the PGA Tour to the LIV Tour gave the golfer more on his plate than he most likely accounted for.
Along with many of the tour's golfers suing the PGA for defamation, his move was the predecessor to his run-ins with Rory McIlroy. While the two had their rivalry start to percolate during the 2016 Ryder Cup, with their back-and-forth antics on the green, there wasn't much else other than two golfers who wanted to win.
The feud hit its peak, though, when McIlroy was served a subpoena from Reed, and the fact that it was issued on Christmas Eve didn't help matters.
Here's a full recap of the Reed-McIlroy beef, including how it stands today.
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Patrick Reed-Rory McIlroy beef history
Reed and McIlroy began their "beef" just in terms of a larger golf rivalry. However, within a few years, the rivalry turned into a plate of strong dislike. Reed's tour swap from PGA to LIV served as the main impetus for the change. Here is a brief timeline of their rocky relationship.
- 2018: Ryder Cup rivalry
- August 2022: LIV players sue PGA Tour for defamation
- December 2022: Reed subpoenas McIlroy on Christmas Eve
- January 2023: McIlroy ignores Reed in Dubai, with Reed tossing a tee at McIlroy
MORE: Rory McIlroy's back injury ahead of the 2026 Masters
Patrick Reed-Rory McIlroy lawsuit
In August 2022, Reed and his lawyer, Larry Klayman, sued Golf Channel and analyst Brandel Chamblee for defamation after Reed's move to the LIV Tour. Klayman stated in the suit that they “have conspired as joint tortfeasors for and with the PGA Tour, its executives and its Commissioner Jay Monahan, to engage in a pattern and practice of defaming Mr. Reed.”
Just before this, 11 LIV golfers, not including Reed, filed a federal lawsuit against the PGA Tour after it suspended any defectors to the new Saudi-backed golf tour.
That group included Phil Mickelson and Bryson DeChambeau, who accused the PGA of "(harming) the careers and livelihoods of any golfers ... who have the temerity to defy the Tour and play in tournaments sponsored by the new entrant. The Tour has done so in an intentional and relentless effort to crush nascent competition before it threatens the Tour’s monopoly."
Following this, the Tour countersued LIV Golf, accusing them of interfering with the contracts of their players.
On Christmas Eve later that year, McIlroy came out and said he was issued a subpoena from Reed for him to appear in court, to testify for him. The Northern Irishman previously criticized LIV Golf for “ripping apart” men’s professional golf.
Here is a picture of the subpoena issued to McIlroy.
Sure enough, here's the affidavit of service confirming Rory McIlroy received a subpoena from Larry Klayman at 3:50 p.m. on Christmas Eve: pic.twitter.com/D4YmVFXgZy
— Dylan Dethier (@dylan_dethier) January 25, 2023Did Patrick Reed sue Rory McIlroy?
No, Reed did not specifically sue McIlroy. Reed's lawyer, Larry Klayman, issued McIlroy a subpoena to appear in court ahead of the lawsuit against the PGA Tour.
McIlroy still did not take this too kindly, as the subpoena was issued on Christmas Eve.
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Why was Rory McIlroy served with a subpoena?
McIlroy was served a subpoena due to his comments about LIV Golf "ripping apart” men’s professional golf. He wasn't directly sued, just summoned to court due to the larger lawsuit against the PGA Tour.
Patrick Reed-Rory McIlroy Dubai confrontation
Ahead of the Dubai Desert Classic in January 2023, Reed was seen walking up to McIlroy while he was warming up at the range. McIlroy avoided all eye contact with Reed, likely due to this having happened just after Reed served him a subpoena on Christmas Eve. Here is a video shot of the incident.
Apparent footage of the Rory Reed tee 'throwing' incident. Thoughts? pic.twitter.com/r35kjE6hO8
— Golf Tips Checker (@GolfTipsChecker) January 25, 2023“I didn't see it. I was down by my bag and he came up to me, and I was busy working and sort of doing my practice, and I didn't really feel like — I didn't feel the need to acknowledge him,” McIlroy explained to reporters after the incident. “So I didn't see a tee coming my direction at all, but apparently that's what happened. And if roles were reversed and I'd have of thrown that tee at him, I'd be expecting a lawsuit.”
MORE: What was on the menu for McIlroy's Masters Champions dinner?
How 2016 Ryder Cup launched a rivalry
At the 2016 Ryder Cup at Hazeltine, McIlroy and Reed played against each other in the same singles grouping. On this day, a rivalry was born.
After two holes in a row of back-and-forth antics between the Northern Irishman and American, McIlroy holed a putt from about 60 feet out on Hole No. 8. He then pointed to his ear and jawed at the Minnesota crowd, "I can't hear you!"
Right after this, Reed came up and birdied his own putt from 20 feet away, and wagged his finger at McIlroy. After the hole, the two came together and bumped knuckles as a sign of respect.
Rory McIlroy vs. Patrick Reed at the 2016 Ryder Cup.
Are we set up for this duel again at the 2026 Masters? pic.twitter.com/XUnvi0cnqc
You can watch full highlights from their back-and-forth from this link.
Are Patrick Reed and Rory McIlroy still feuding?
While their relationship was on the rocks previously, the tensions have seemed to cool off compared to how the situation was shaped previously. While the two most likely aren't as friendly as they once were, they haven't spoken badly about each other to the media compared to when their situation was heightened in 2022-2023.
Reed was not selected to Team USA for the 2025 Ryder Cup, which was unfortunate for golf fans looking for a rekindling of their previous rivalry.
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