For a second time, Patrick Reed’s $750 million defamation lawsuit against a number of golf media members and outlets — including Golfweek — has been dismissed.
Originally filed in August of 2022 in Texas and later refiled in Florida the next month, the lawsuit included the likes of Golf Channel’s Damon Hack, Shane Bacon and Eamon Lynch, as well as Golfweek and its parent company, Gannett. Lynch serves as a host on Golf Channel’s “Golf Today,” but is also a Golfweek columnist.
The lawsuit alleged conspiracy, defamation, injurious falsehood and tortious interference and that the defenders had acted “in concert as joint tortfeasors.”
But U.S. District Judge Timothy Corrigan, who dismissed the suit last November, did so again on Wednesday as part of a 78-page ruling.
“Many of the statements are not about Reed. Some statements are about LIV Golf, of which Reed is a member, but not specifically about Reed. Others are matters of opinion or permissible rhetorical hyperbole. Still others are statements of fact, the truth of which are not challenged,” Corrigan wrote.
Larry Klayman, Reed’s attorney, earlier stated, “The PGA Tour’s 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 Golf players, to further their agenda and alleged collaborative efforts to destroy the new LIV Golf Tour. 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.”
Yet Corrigan wrote:
“Reed does not meet the required pleading of actual malice to hold the press liable for defamation. 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.”
JUST IN: Patrick Reed’s defamation lawsuits against Brandel Chamblee, Eamon Lynch, Shane Bacon, and several other journalists and news outlets has been dismissed by a federal judge.
“While Reed may be frustrated at the [negative media coverage] he fails to bring actionable… pic.twitter.com/JFNsRMOKEF
— John Nucci (@JNucci23) September 27, 2023
