Patrick Reed responded to a book excerpt released last week that included accusations of cheating and stealing while the golfer played collegiately at Georgia and Augusta State.
In a statement released through his management company, IMG, Reed said that the "accusations that were made against me are serious and were intended to damage my reputation and character. They will not be taken lightly. My team and my representatives are looking into all aspects of this matter, and we look forward to setting the record straight.
"For now, I'm staying focused on my life in the present and being the best husband, father and golfer I can be."
Reed, 24, has four PGA Tour victories, including a win this year at the Hyundai Tournament of Champions. He also was a bright spot for the United States in a loss to Europe at the Ryder Cup.
The book, by former Grantland.com writer Shane Ryan, is due to be released this spring. He wrote an excerpt for a blog in which he credited an April ESPN.com story by Ian O'Connor for bringing to light several issues teammates and coaches had with the golfer when he was an amateur.
Ryan wrote, according to sources, that Reed had cheated during qualifying rounds and that he stole merchandise and money from teammates while at Georgia.
From the excerpt: "During a qualifying round prior to a tournament, according to sources, Reed hit a ball far into the rough. When he approached the spot, he found another ball sitting closer to the fairway, and was preparing to hit it when several of his teammates confronted him. Reed pled ignorance, but the other Georgia players were convinced he had been caught red-handed trying to cheat. That same fall, several items went missing from the Georgia locker room, including a watch, a Scotty Cameron putter, and $400 cash. When Reed showed up the next day with a large wad of cash, a teammate confronted him and asked how he'd come by the money. Reed said he'd played golf with a professor at the school and hustled him out of the cash. The player in question took this claim to the professor, who had no idea what he was talking about -- it had been weeks since the man had played with Reed."
Reed is not playing in this week's Farmers Insurance Open.