Patrick Reed’s Defamation Lawsuit Against Chamblee, Others Dismissed

LIV golfer Patrick Reed’s $750 million defamation suit aimed at Golf Channel and its employees, among others, has been dismissed in Florida court, according to a report from USA Today.

The lawsuit was filed in Texas in August before being refiled in Florida, where it was dismissed Friday by U.S. District Judge Timothy J. Corrigan. 

Upon dismissing the case, Corrigan provided his reasoning for the ruling.

“Reed’s complaint does not cleanly fit into one of the four types of shotgun pleadings,” Corrigan said. “However, it fails to give defendants notice of the grounds upon which each claim rests because Reed alleges 120 factual allegations, then proceeds to incorporate 120 allegations into each and every count. … Reed attempts to allege various defamation and civil conspiracy violations against each defendant; causes of action which require vastly different factual allegations.”

The lawsuit by Reed alleged conspiracy, defamation, injurious falsehood and tortious interference and that defenders acted “in concert as joint tortfeasors.” Specifically, Reed sued Golfweek and its parent company, Eamon Lynch, a Golfweek columnist, and Golf Channel employees Brandel Chamblee, Damon Hack and Shane Bacon.

The lawsuit centered around Reed’s move from the PGA Tour to the LIV Golf Series and the narrative surrounding the rival tour and its affiliation with the Saudis.

Reed’s attorney Larry Klayman was not shy about the rationale behind the lawsuit when it was filed.

“The PGA Tour and its ‘partner’ the NBC’s Golf Channel’s mission is to destroy a top LIV Golf Tour player, his family, as well as all of the LIV Gold players, to further their agenda and alleged collaborative efforts to destroy the new LIV Golf Tour,” Klayman said. “As alleged in the complaint, these calculated malicious attacks have created hate, aided and abetted a hostile workplace environment and have caused substantial financial and emotional damage and harm to Mr. Reed and his family.”

Despite the claims made by Reed and his representation, the golfer will not be successful in his pursuit of suing various members of golf media.