Patrick Reed has withdrawn his $750 million defamation lawsuit against Golf Channel and analyst Brandel Chamblee from Texas federal court — only to refile and add new defendants in the state of Florida.
First reported by The Athletic, attorney Larry Klayman on Wednesday refiled Reed’s suit in the Middle District of Florida’s U.S. District Court, based in Jacksonville, adding new defendants: Golf Channel’s Shane Bacon, Damon Hack and Eamon Lynch. Parent companies Golfweek and Gannett were also named in the new filing.
The suit alleges that “calculated, malicious, false and/or reckless attacks” have led to Reed losing several multi-million dollar sponsorships and had a direct effect on Reed and his family’s livelihood.
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Reed was among the PGA Tour pros who joined the Saudi-funded LIV Golf this summer, defecting from PGA Tour and banned from returning by commissioner Jay Monahan.
“Defendants have conspired as joint tortfeasors for and with the PGA Tour, its executives, and Monahan to engage in a pattern and practice of defaming Mr. Reed, misreporting information with actual knowledge of falsity and/or reckless disregard of the truth, that is with actual and constitutional malice, purposely omitting pertinent key material facts to mislead the public, and actively targeting Mr. Reed since he was 23 years old, to destroy his reputation, create hate, and a hostile work environment for him, with the intention to discredit his name and accomplishments as a young, elite, world-class golfer, and the good and caring person, husband and father of two children that he is,” the suit reads. “It is well-known on tour that Mr. Reed has been abused and endured more than any other golfer from fans or spectators who have been allowed to scream obscenities, only to be glorified by Defendant Golf Channel for doing so, because it gets the Defendants “clicks,” viewership, ratings and increased revenue. For Defendants, it does not matter how badly they destroy someone’s name and life, so long as they rake in more dollars and profit.”
The suit lists examples of the defendants’ analysis of Reed controversies on Golf Channel. It also cites a story written by Lynch, who also contributes to Golfweek, which is owned by Gannett. [Editor’s note: Lynch is a former GOLF employee.]
Reed, 32, won over $32 million in his career on the PGA Tour. His biggest victory remains his only major title, when he won the 2018 Masters.
He’s finished 3rd, 5th, 33rd 13th in his four LIV Golf events, although his team, the 4 Aces, captained by Dustin Johnson, have won the team competition in all four of those starts.
You can read the full lawsuit here.