How do you try and restore Patrick Reed’s reputation?

Patrick Reed is back in action this week at Bay Hill. You’re his manager for the day, how do you get the fans back on his side? We set out our Project Patrick in this week’s Fourball…

Alex: Photo ops with army vets or sick children, OBVIOUSLY. Or something with cats. People, for whatever reason, bloody love cats. Why do people love cats so much? Either way it’s going to make people fall in love with Patrick Reed.

Dan: Personally, I think Reed is a high-class golfer and a formidable opponent. I think he just needs to play lots of great golf, steer clear of controversy, earn a place on the Ryder Cup team and go through the week unbeaten.

All will be forgiven – on one side of the Atlantic at least. I’m not sure that (allegedly) orchestrating burner social media accounts to argue Reed’s case is necessarily the best way to win hearts and minds.

• Related: Should Reed have been disqualified?
• Related: How does Reed manage to block it all out?
• Related: ‘I’ve seen Reed improve his lie four times’
• Related: Reed on the end of fan abuse in Hawaii

Mark: I don’t think it’s too difficult – just sit down with someone in the media and admit you got it wrong. Be honest, everyone loves a bit of sincerity and say you’re going to try and do things better in the future.

Phil Mickelson did the unthinkable in the middle of a US Open and everyone is well and truly back on side with him. Don’t think that by burying your head in the sand it’s just going to go away as the incident took place at the beginning of December and it’s still the first question on most people’s lips in interviews.

Until you say something normal and believable, and change a bit, you’ll just be viewed as the player who cheats.

Joe: It seems like an impossible task really but I think I’d have to try and give the people a sight of what the man is like away from the course.

Try to help people forget all about the rules controversy for just a minute and think ‘you know what? he’s not that bad’.

And after that, I’m out of ideas. 

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