Patrick and Justine Reed mull over a shot at the Traveler’s Championship. (Getty)
On Saturday, Patrick Reed shot a 7-under, 65 in the third round of the U.S. Open. His stellar play catapulted him into the top 10 entering Sunday’s final round.
The 26-year-old came to this year’s U.S. Open with far more patriotism than his competitors– at least, he looked more patriotic. Speaking to PGA.com on Saturday, Reed said his wife, mother-in-law, and sister-in-law are his wardrobe consultants for the tournament. The ladies chose red, white, and blue for the national championship.
And just who is Reed’s wife? Reed met Justine Karain at Augusta State, where she was pursuing a nursing degree. An athlete herself, Justine was a standout swimmer and soccer player, and even played golf in high school. By the time she met Reed, who she is older than by four years, Justine had completed two undergraduate degrees. She and Patrick hit it off immediately, and dated for three years before getting engaged.
Read on to learn more about Justine Karain.
1. Justine Is Patrick’s Former Caddie
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In 2012, Karain switched careers from full-time nurse to Reed’s full-time caddie.
She tells the Washington Post, “If you had told me with all the work I put into my nursing degree I’d be doing this, I wouldn’t have believed you. When I told my Dad, he was like, ‘You’re doing what?’”
Although Justine has a background in golf, her husband had to teach her the ins-and-outs of the sport when it came to taking on the role of his caddie. Proving he’s a team player who adores his wife, Reed used the pronoun “we” in reference to his successes when his wife was his caddie. Speaking about his finish at the St. Jude Classic in 2013, Patrick said, “We were fortunate enough to play pretty well and have our best finish so far.” Patrick made it clear during the period when Justine was his caddie that she helped him with his craft and confidence. Golf.com reports him as saying, “She helped me so much. When the gun goes off, I want to fire at every flag and try to birdie every hole, but she’s very poised, and she would get me to slow down and think things through.”
2014 marked the first tournament in which Justine didn’t caddie for her husband, and the experience was anything but easy. Speaking to PGA.com at Kapulua, Justine said, “Being on the outside was a little more difficult than I thought it would be.”
The reason Justine stepped away from caddying was pregnancy– with the impending birth of her daughter, it wasn’t wise to lug around her husband’s gear. PGA spoke to Reed, himself, about the situation, and he said, “Instead of being inside the ropes, she’ll be outside the ropes. He’s thinking of coming back right before the PGA (Championship). She wants to get back at it, and I want her out here.”
2. She Almost Drowned in a Hotel Bathtub From a Seizure at the Franklin Templeton Shootout in 2014
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In December 2014, Justine had a near-drowning experience while taking a bath after a practice round at the Franklin Templeton Shootout in Naples, Florida. According to Golf Channel, Patrick heard splashing sounds coming from the bathroom and when he found his wife, she was shaking profusely.
Reed reported of the traumatizing experience:
“She wasn’t breathing, and her skin had no color. I ripped her out of the tub, but I don’t know CPR so I turned her around and did the Heimlich. She’s still not breathing. I did the Heimlich again, and this time she coughed up a bunch of water and finally started breathing again. It was terrifying. Doctors said if I was 10 or 15 seconds later, she would be gone.”
Reed subsequently withdrew from the second day of the pro-am to attend to his wife’s medical needs. In a statement to the public, Reed said, “I withdrew from today’s pro-am to be with my wife, Justine, who suffered a grand mal seizure (Tuesday) afternoon while in the bathtub… We are really fortunate that she is OK and lucky that I was in the room with her to save her from drowning. I am so grateful to the paramedic team, IMG and the doctors at Naples Community Hospital for their support and care during an extremely difficult time.”
It was later confirmed that Justine had a grand mal seizure caused by low potassium and magnesium levels.
3. Karain’s Family Often Accompanies Patrick on Tour
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Karain’s family is a huge part of Patrick’s life, and often accompanies him on tour. According to Golf.com, Justine’s sister, Kris, often serves as the nanny at night, and her mother, Janet, often looks after the baby when he and Justine are at the course. The outlet also states that Patrick typically rents a house for the family to share on tournaments.
Bill and Jeannette, Patrick’s parents, weren’t invited to the couple’s wedding in 2012, according to Golf.com. The outlet states that Patrick hasn’t had contact with his parents since he married Justine, but it is unconfirmed whether or not this is true.
4. He Made Headlines for Making a Homophobic Slur in 2014
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Since Reed’s debut on the PGA Tour, there have been several instances in which he’s made headlines for a brief outburst after losing his temper. In Scotland in 2014, he pressed his finger to his mouth to shush the crowd at the Ryder Cup. Then, while playing in the World Golf Championship event in China in November, he missed a sub-3 foot putt and went off on a rant that included a homophobic slur. The rant was recorded and broadcasted, turning Reed into somewhat of a villain.
Reed apologized for his actions one day later, saying, “Yesterday, I made a stupid error. Sorry for definitely the words that I said and everything that went on. Never should have happened. Unfortunately, it happened to me and all I can do is just learn from it and move on, hopefully continue playing well and keep giving fans something to watch.”
Reed’s temper reportedly got him into trouble in his college years, as well. According to Golf.com, he alienated himself during his freshman year at Georgia because of his “me-first attitude and an assortment of alleged misdeeds he has declined to discuss.” The outlet states that Reed was arrested for underage drinking and possessing a fake ID during his time at Georgia, which led to him transferring to Augusta State. Reed has not commented on whether or not the alleged incident is what led to him switching schools.
5. Karain Has One Child With Reed
Patrick Reed hugs his wife Justine as their daughter Windsor-Wells looks on during the Par 3 Contest prior to the start of the 2015 Masters Tournament. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images)
The couple welcomed their first child, a daughter named Windsor-Wells, in May 2014 at Memorial Hermann Hospital-Texas Medical Center.
Reed withdrew from the HP Byron Nelson tournament the previous week to ensure he didn’t miss the birth of his firstborn.
