Patrick Reed’s Golf Lawsuits, What He Sued For, What Happened, and Where Things Stand

Between 2022 and 2025, professional golfer Patrick Reed filed multiple lawsuits — against Golf Channel, analyst Brandel Chamblee, the Associated Press, and other media figures — after he left the PGA Tour to join LIV Golf. All of Reed’s federal defamation lawsuits were ultimately dismissed. Rory McIlroy was never sued directly by Reed, but was subpoenaed in a related antitrust case — on Christmas Eve — sparking one of golf’s most talked-about feuds. This article covers every lawsuit, every dismissal, and the full story behind the Reed-McIlroy drama.

Quick Facts

Field	Detail
Lawsuit Type	Defamation (Reed v. Media) + Antitrust (Klayman v. PGA Tour)
Plaintiff	Patrick Reed (defamation cases); Larry Klayman (antitrust case)
Defendants	Golf Channel, Brandel Chamblee, Damon Hack, Shane Bacon, Eamon Lynch, Golfweek, Gannett, AP, PGA Tour, DP World Tour, others
Total Damages Sought	Over $1 billion (across multiple filings)
Case Outcomes	All dismissed — defamation cases with prejudice, antitrust case dismissed late 2024
Rory McIlroy’s Role	Subpoenaed as witness in antitrust case (Christmas Eve 2022) — never a defendant
Attorney	Larry Klayman (now-suspended)
Settlement	None — all cases dismissed

Current Status

• The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit affirmed the Florida trial court’s dismissal of Reed’s two federal defamation lawsuits against Golf Channel, Brandel Chamblee, and others in July 2025.
• The PGA Tour’s motion to dismiss the separate Klayman antitrust case — the one that led to McIlroy being subpoenaed — was granted by a judge in late 2024.
• In January 2024, the court found that Reed had filed the defamation lawsuit to stifle free speech and ordered him to pay the defendants’ legal fees and costs.
• Reed returned to the PGA Tour in January 2026 after four seasons with LIV Golf. All litigation is now resolved.

What Did Patrick Reed Actually Sue Over?

Reed left the PGA Tour for LIV in 2022 and then enlisted the services of attorney Larry Klayman, suing various media members for the better part of a billion dollars. The lawsuits were separate from LIV Golf’s own antitrust case against the PGA Tour, which was resolved by settlement in 2023.

Reed had faced years of public criticism — both for alleged rules violations on the course and for his decision to join the Saudi-backed LIV circuit. His legal team argued that media coverage of him crossed the line from opinion into actionable defamation.

Reed filed a pair of lawsuits seeking a combined at least $1 billion in damages, claiming Golf Channel analyst Brandel Chamblee, the Golf Channel, and others were conspiring with the PGA Tour to “engage in a pattern and practice of defaming” him since he was 23 years old. In total, Reed filed his case against 18 journalists and news organizations.

The Defamation Lawsuits: What Reed Claimed

Lawsuit 1 — Texas filing, August 2022 Reed filed the original defamation lawsuit in a Texas federal court targeting Golf Channel and its employees, including Brandel Chamblee, Damon Hack, and Shane Bacon. That lawsuit was voluntarily dismissed and refiled in a Florida federal court in September 2022.

Lawsuit 2 — Florida refiling, September 2022 (amended December 2022) The Florida lawsuit alleged conspiracy, defamation, injurious falsehood, and tortious interference. Reed specifically sued Golfweek and its parent company, Eamon Lynch (a Golfweek columnist), and Golf Channel employees Chamblee, Hack, and Bacon. The lawsuit centered on remarks made about Reed’s move to LIV and the narrative surrounding the tour’s Saudi Arabia connection.

Among the statements Reed cited as defamatory was a podcast in which Chamblee compared players who joined LIV to those who would have played for Stalin, Hitler, Mao, Pol Pot, and Putin, given the Saudi government’s human rights record.

Lawsuit 3 — Associated Press and others, November 2022 Klayman filed another lawsuit on Reed’s behalf targeting the Associated Press and other outlets in November 2022.

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Why Did the Courts Dismiss Reed’s Cases?

Judge Timothy J. Corrigan dismissed both lawsuits with prejudice — meaning they cannot be refiled. The judge wrote that because Reed is a public figure, he must sufficiently allege facts showing “actual malice” by the defendants, meaning the false statement was made with knowledge that it was false or with reckless disregard of whether it was false or not.

Judge Corrigan wrote in his ruling: “While Reed may be frustrated at the negative media coverage he receives (some of which seems over the top), under Florida law and the First Amendment, Reed fails to bring actionable defamation claims and his cases therefore must be dismissed.”

In January 2024, the court found that Reed had filed the lawsuit to stifle free speech — a legal finding that allowed the court to order Reed to pay the defendants’ legal fees and costs. The Eleventh Circuit then confirmed the dismissal on appeal in July 2025, closing the door permanently on those cases.

Where Does Rory McIlroy Fit In?

McIlroy was never sued by Patrick Reed. The connection to him runs through a separate legal action entirely.

Attorney Larry Klayman filed a civil antitrust lawsuit claiming that Florida residents who bought tickets to PGA Tour events were damaged by the PGA Tour allegedly weakening fields by suspending players who joined LIV Golf. Klayman subpoenaed McIlroy as a witness — someone with relevant knowledge about PGA Tour policy — not as a defendant.

Klayman alleged that McIlroy, Davis Love III, and Tiger Woods were co-conspirators in the PGA Tour’s antitrust scheme to destroy LIV Golf. This was a separate matter from Reed’s defamation cases, and Reed himself confirmed he was not personally behind the subpoena.

The subpoena was delivered to McIlroy’s residence on Christmas Eve 2022. McIlroy was not amused. He publicly said: “I was subpoenaed by his lawyer on Christmas Eve. Of course, trying to have a nice time with my family and someone shows up on your doorstep and delivers that, you’re not going to take that well.”

The Dubai Driving Range Incident — “Tee-Gate”

The subpoena set the stage for one of golf’s most memorable public confrontations. At the 2023 Dubai Desert Classic, Reed approached McIlroy on the practice range while McIlroy was warming up. McIlroy ignored him, prompting Reed to toss a tee in his direction.

Reed later told reporters: “Since my tees are Team Aces LIV tees I flicked him one. He saw me and he decided not to react. But it is one of those things. If you’re going to act like an immature little child, then you might as well be treated like one.”

McIlroy downplayed the tee incident itself but was direct about the reason for the snub. McIlroy said: “If roles were reversed and I’d have thrown that tee at him, I’d be expecting him to file a lawsuit.”

McIlroy then pipped Reed to victory in the tournament, sealing a 15th DP World Tour title with a birdie at the last hole, finishing one stroke ahead of Reed.

How Did the Feud End?

While their relationship was on the rocks previously, tensions cooled significantly by 2025 and 2026. Neither player has spoken badly about the other to the media compared to the peak of their dispute in 2022–2023.

By January 2026, Reed indicated he was willing to move past the feud with McIlroy. The two competed at the same Dubai Desert Classic again, this time without incident or subpoenas. Reed subsequently announced his return to the PGA Tour — bringing both players back under the same umbrella for the first time since 2022.

Important Dates

Milestone	Date
Reed Joins LIV Golf	June 2022
Reed Files First Defamation Lawsuit (Texas)	August 2022
Klayman Files PGA Tour Antitrust Lawsuit	November 2022
McIlroy Served Subpoena on Christmas Eve	December 24, 2022
Florida Defamation Case First Dismissed	November 2022
Amended Defamation Complaint Filed	December 2022
Dubai “Tee-Gate” Incident	January 2023
Both Defamation Lawsuits Dismissed With Prejudice	September 2023
Court Orders Reed to Pay Defendants’ Legal Fees	January 2024
PGA Tour Antitrust Case (Klayman) Dismissed	Late 2024
Eleventh Circuit Affirms Defamation Dismissal	July 2025
Reed Returns to PGA Tour	January 2026

Frequently Asked Questions

Did Patrick Reed sue Rory McIlroy? 

No. Reed never sued McIlroy directly. McIlroy was subpoenaed as a witness in a separate antitrust lawsuit filed by Reed’s attorney Larry Klayman against the PGA Tour and DP World Tour — not as a defendant in any of Reed’s personal defamation cases.

Why did Reed’s defamation lawsuits get dismissed?

 Because Reed is a public figure, courts require him to prove “actual malice” — that defendants knowingly made false statements or acted with reckless disregard for the truth. The courts found that Reed’s complaints failed to meet that legal standard, and the cases were dismissed with prejudice.

What does “dismissed with prejudice” mean? 

It means the court permanently closed the case. Reed cannot refile the same claims against the same defendants. The dismissal with prejudice is final.

Did Reed win any money from his lawsuits? 

No. All of Reed’s lawsuits were dismissed. Worse, the court ordered Reed to pay the defendants’ legal fees after finding the lawsuit was filed to suppress free speech.

Who is Brandel Chamblee and why did Reed sue him? 

Brandel Chamblee is a Golf Channel analyst. Reed sued him after Chamblee made remarks comparing LIV golfers to people who would have played for historical dictators, and after years of Chamblee publicly criticizing Reed for alleged rules violations on the course.

Is this lawsuit related to LIV Golf’s antitrust case against the PGA Tour?

 No. Reed’s personal defamation lawsuits and Klayman’s antitrust suit are separate from the broader antitrust litigation LIV Golf itself filed against the PGA Tour, which was resolved by settlement in 2023.

Where do Reed and McIlroy stand today? 

Both players appear to have moved past the most intense period of their dispute. Reed returned to the PGA Tour in January 2026, putting both men back in the same fields — and all related litigation is fully resolved.

Last Updated: April 12, 2026

Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. Legal claims and outcomes depend on specific facts and applicable law. For advice regarding a particular situation, consult a qualified attorney.