Patrick Reed is amazed by the new reality of LIV Golf at the PGA
NEWTOWN SQUARE, Pa. — Patrick Reed got “antsy.” He is a competitive golfer. Play anywhere and anytime.
But he arrived this week at the PGA Championship on the other side of that coin, having not played since being tied for 12th last month at the Masters.
“It’s really weird,” Reed said Thursday after shooting two under in the first round. “Yeah, this year is obviously a unique situation. Taking that time off since Augusta, it’s just been a lot of grinding and preparation. It’s really one of those types where you feel like you can prepare well.
“Even though I wasn’t playing championship golf, I was doing a lot of things and not just learning my golf game.
That preparation included running through multiple sets of lob wedges and a three-day trip to Aronimink Golf Club, where he played in a gusty wind, giving him a feel for what he’ll face this week outside of Philadelphia. Reed said he lost a lot of balls on Aronimink’s hard surface during his scouting trip but felt he sharpened it enough to avoid any rust that might have accumulated during his month away. The only time Reed didn’t play for weeks was before the big Covid season, when there was a gap of several weeks between the Zozo Championship and the November Masters.
While Reed enjoys playing tournament golf in his spare time, he downplays that by grinding early and spending time with his children after school. After leaving LIV Golf in January, Reed has played exclusively on the DP World Tour as he works to earn his PGA Tour card for the 2027 season. Reed won in Dubai and Qatar, making him a virtual lock to earn one of the 10 cards offered to non-exempt members of the DP World Tour. When his team looked at the DP World Tour schedule, they decided it was best for Reed not to play between the Masters and the PGA. He also won’t play between the PGA and the US Open before getting back into gear for the DP World Tour’s home tournament.
Despite his preparation unlike Reed, the 2017 Masters champion was sharp on Thursday at Aronimink. He led the field in greens par (88.9 percent) and made two birdies with no bogeys. He is one of the first round leads shared by several players, including Scottie Scheffler.
“This year is a little different,” Reed said. “Honestly, I’ve enjoyed my time at home. I’ve enjoyed grinding, preparing, working on things and I’m ready for this week. Hopefully, I can continue with a strong game and go up there and have a chance late Sunday. You know, it could be something new.”
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Reed’s great preparation isn’t the only thing different about the current state of professional golf. Things have been moving fast as golf’s civil war seems to be coming to an end.
Since Reed left Augusta National, his previous tour has been rocked by news that the Saudi Arabian Public Investment Fund will withdraw its sponsorship of LIV Golf after the season. That news left LIV facing an uncertain future as CEO Scott O’Neil tries to secure funding for the 2027 season.
“I didn’t know what was going to happen,” Reed said. “For me, it’s just like, you know, I hope the guys continue to play hard golf and get their opportunities. Whatever their future is, whether it’s on the DP Tour, try to get back on the PGA Tour or wherever they play, I hope they continue to play hard golf and go out there and do what they do.”
Before his win in Dubai, Reed and his team were negotiating a new contract with LIV. Four days later, he won the tournament and decided his time in the Saudi-backed league was over. He wanted to get back on the PGA Tour, to get those competitive juices flowing and be on the old course again.
The thought that PIF might pull funding played no part in Reed’s decision. It was no longer what his heart wanted.
“There is none,” Reed told GOLF, Sports Illustrated and the Golf Channel when asked if the PIF’s fear of pulling funding made him want to leave. “No. It was the same way I felt on the golf course when I was in Dubai. I want to get that feeling back, go out and play, have those good and bad conditions and that kind of traditional golf where you’re the last man standing on the range. It had nothing to do with that. I was very surprised.”
Reed hopes all will be well for the remaining boys at LIV. But that is in his past. He’s moving around and thriving in his new life, which I saw for the second big time over the weekend in Philadelphia.
