Not making any excuse for Reed, but how is it different than, when in deep rough, a player repeatedly soles his club behind the ball....smashing the grass down with every soling? He was in a bunker where he could sole his club without penalty. I do understand he did move sand 2 times, but what if he had just soled the club several times to tamp down that same sand??
I, at first, had thought he knew what he was doing and was deliberate about it(cheating). After some thought about how the club would actually block his view of the 'swipes', from his stance over the club, I'll give him benefit of a doubt. His caddy must have been looking towards the fw, or looking at Reed directly, as caddies do, in order not to see it.
Much will be made of this, but should it? He is not President! 🤣