NASSAU, Bahamas -- Patrick Reed said Thursday that he and others on the U.S. Ryder Cup team have moved passed any issues in the aftermath of the U.S. defeat against Europe in France this past September that caused him to call out both teammate Jordan Spieth and captain Jim Furyk.
But Reed didn't let it go a day earlier when asked by the New York Post if he had discussed matters with Spieth. "Nope," he said. "He has my number."
Reed had been upset that the previously successful pairing of him and Spieth was broken up at the Ryder Cup and that he sat out two decisions. He told the New York Times after the event that he believed the decisions were borne out of a "buddy system" and he didn't think it was "wise" to sit him twice out of five matches.
The reigning Masters champion, Reed went 1-2, losing twice with partner Tiger Woods -- who is the 2019 U.S. Presidents Cup captain.
"I don't think anything needs to be resolved," Reed said Thursday after shooting 7-under-par 65 at Albany Golf Club to share the first-round lead with Patrick Cantlay at the Hero World Challenge. "I've seen all the guys and we've talked to all the guys and we've all moved past that. We're plenty of weeks beyond the Ryder Cup. We're just trying to get ready for next season, and just trying to get ready for two more years when hopefully we can get payback [at the 2020 Ryder Cup]."
But Reed also acknowledged Thursday he had not spoken to Spieth, whom he criticized for wanting to break up their successful pairing. And he has yet to speak to Furyk, either.
In the process of criticizing Spieth and Furyk, Reed -- possibly unintentionally -- also seemed to suggest he wasn't happy about being paired with Woods, who has mentored him at times. Reed told the New York Times back in September that Woods had "apologized" to him for poor play after their first-day loss at the Ryder Cup.
"We spoke after the Ryder Cup for a long period of time and we talked amongst us and [it] will stay between us," Woods said following Thursday's first round.
Asked if he was disappointed by Reed's comments, Woods said, "It's between us and we'll be handling it between us."
Reed and Spieth came into the Ryder Cup sporting an impressive record together. They were 4-1-2 in the Ryder Cup, 8-1-3 including the Presidents Cup. They went 2-0-1 four years ago at Gleneagles and were 2-1-1 two years ago at Hazeltine.
But the decision to put Spieth with Justin Thomas was not a big surprise to anyone but Reed. There had been rumblings in the lead-up to the Ryder Cup that Furyk would pair longtime friends Spieth and Thomas, who were the Americans' best team in France with a 3-1 record. Thomas said a few weeks ago he was aware of the decision, as were other players.
"It was just a lack a lack of communication," Reed told the Post. "It had nothing to do with hard feelings. Jordan's an awesome player. Him and I seem to always play really well together, and there were some decisions that were made that I didn't agree with that [the] captain thought were right.
"You had to look at the breakdown of the guy on the team and what was best for the entire team, not just one or two individuals. So you split up Jordan and I, right? Then you split up Justin Thomas and Rickie Fowler, who have played great golf together [in the 2017 Presidents Cup] ... groupings that had been proven successful in that format. So it was about the team, not one or two individuals."
"You had to look at the breakdown of the guy on the team and what was best for the entire team, not just one or two individuals. So you split up Jordan and I, right? Then you split up Justin Thomas and Rickie Fowler, who have played great golf together [in the 2017 Presidents Cup] ... groupings that had been proven successful in that format. So it was about the team, not one or two individuals."
Reed likened his complaints to Phil Mickelson calling out captain Tom Watson and the PGA of America following the U.S. defeat at Gleneagles in 2014.
"He did it and got praised," Reed said. "I did it and got destroyed. It all depends on who the person is, obviously."
The difference was Mickelson did it in the post-tournament news conference -- with Watson sitting a few seats away -- with the motivation of a pushing a change in philosophy. But Mickelson, who has played on every U.S. Ryder Cup and Presidents Cup team going back to 1994, was not universally praised. In many places, he was criticized for his takedown of Watson, as well as the setting.
Still, Mickelson's comments led to a changes which now sees far more continuity between captains and assistants. Hence the call to have Woods, who was an assistant at the 2016 Ryder Cup and 2017 Presidents Cup, serve as captain for next year's Presidents Cup.
Reed is 13th in the current Presidents Cup standings for 2019.