Patrick Reed Denies Cheating at Tiger Woods' Golf Tourney Despite Video

It sure LOOKS like pro golfer Patrick Reed cheated his ass off on a hole Tiger Woods' big Hero World Challenge tourney on Friday ... but Reed insists he's INNOCENT!!!

Here's the deal ... Reed was caught in a sand trap on the 11th hole -- and during a practice swing, he appeared to use his club to knock away a clump of sand behind the ball, setting him up for a cleaner shot.

The problem ... YOU CAN'T DO THAT!!!

Tournament officials hit Reed with a 2 stroke penalty which is a big deal -- he's currently in 6th place ... 3 shots behind tourney leader Gary Woodland.

But, Reed insists he did NOT cheat -- claiming it was a bad camera angle that's making it LOOK like he cheated ... when he really didn't.

Instead, Reed says his club hit a mound of sand created by a footprint that was NOT close to the ball.

"At the end of the day, it's my word vs. their word and they weren't standing there. They had a camera angle," Reed said.

Reed says he's trying to accept the punishment and move on since he still has another round of play on Saturday.