Wow, I'm shocked that the rules official agreed with Reed after he stuck his finger to check for a lip apparently. I can't see how a ball can create a lip so as to be classified as embedded from after falling from 2 feet in the air on a bounce into very high rough. I don't know if Reed saw the ball bounce or not, but when the volunteer incorrectly stated it didn't (when she should have said I'm not sure) it allowed Reed to "check" and he did alert his playing partners.
I guess the rules allow you to move the ball as well before a rules official or your playing partners witness it. If the ball is obviously embedded upon visual inspection, why not call over your playing partner to ask, or a rules official before moving it? I guess that isn't required, but I'd like to have at least your playing partners have to visually inspect the ball before being moved. Was this changed in 2019? Can I move the ball and then verbally tell you what I believe and allow the playing partner or rules official to only inspect the "crater or lip" of where the ball was?
I agree with several others here in that how in the heck did the ball become embedded off a bounce of 2 feet into very heavy rough? I don't see how that is physically possible, so both Reed's opinion and moving of the ball led the rules official to stick his finger in that crater to identify a lip apparently. I don't question the rules official's integrity, but I think it more possible that:
1. Reed perhaps pushed the ball into the ground before removing it. On video it is plausible he exerted some pressure onto the ball so as to make a lip or crater IMO. Why lift it and move it for heavens sakes, then call a rules official?
2. The rules official did a cursory evaluation of the crater to find the lip, and perhaps made an error in judgement (not in ethics).
I mean we are to the point with Patrick Reed where he almost should be mandated to wear a body cam like police officers. Make him and his caddie wear body cams and charge $9.99 a tournament for archival footage for all fans to inspect. Donate the funds to charity and at the end of the year I think you will have a robust fund to do some good.