Now, David Feherty, the Golf Channel host and former European Ryder Cup player, has stirred the hornet’s nest in an interview with Sports Illustrated.

Presented with a list of names of professional golfers, Feherty was asked to give his take on each one and, when Reed’s cropped up, the Northern Irishman pulled no punches.

• Honda Classic announcer's embarrassing blunder

• Rory confirms plans for 2020 Irish Open

• European Tour U-turns on Molinari and Gagli

"Jesus. You can put that in there actually. Just Jesus," he said. "I mean, I don't even know what to say. It's just, it's going to follow him for the rest of his life.”

Asked if he believes Reed is the game’s ‘most polarising’ figure, Feherty replied: "I'm not sure there's too many people on the other side, you know what I mean? 

WHAT IT'S LIKE TO HIT A £4,000 DRIVER

“I mean, 'there is no God' was the first thing I said after he'd won last week [in the WGC-Mexico Championship]. There is no God, you know, that's proof of it right there. Amazing. I mean, he is amazing. He's Captain Oblivious, just can let everything run off his back. I've never seen anything like it."

• gWest owner breaks his silence

• Motocaddy unveils world's first touch-screen trolley

• Koepka 'not in golf to make friends'

• Scots golf hotel to open with EYE-WATERING prices

Here’s a selection of Feherty’s thoughts on other current PGA Tour stars:

Rory McIlroy: “Nobody makes the game look prettier.”

Brooks Koepka: “He’s a kind of a monster in a lot of ways. Sort of the monster you don't want to wake up.”

Dustin Johnston: “DJ is watching a movie that only DJ can see.”