Patrick Reed is one of two big names to jump from LIV Golf so far this year.
The 2018 Masters winner left the once Saudi-backed league shortly after Brooks Koepka. He participated in the DP World Tour for one year and decided to return to the PGA Tour with past champion status once his suspension is lifted.
advertisement
When LIV players started looking at returning to the PGA Tour, many wondered what the reaction would be from the players.
Players on the PGA Tour turned down eye-watering amounts of money to maintain their loyalty to the Tour, so it’s understandable that players on the LIV would feel unfair if they were allowed to take that money and come back with impunity. But Koepka said players on the PGA Tour have been incredibly welcoming to his return.
However, Reed has been known to ruffle feathers over the years and could be treated differently upon his eventual return. But does he care?
Photo by Michael Reeves/Getty Images
Patrick Reed says he cares what PGA Tour players think about him
Reed doesn’t seem to care much about other golfers’ opinions. When he first joined LIV Golf, he had a feud with Rory McIlroy and relentlessly rubbed players the wrong way in the Ryder Cup and Presidents Cup.
advertisement
So it’s surprising to hear that he cares what other golfers think when he returns to the PGA Tour. He admitted as much on Golf Channel before the U.S. Open.
“That’s always important. When I actually looked at it and sat down and decided what I thought was best for me and my family, I knew I wanted to be able to come back and play on the PGA Tour and do it the right way,” Reed said.
“It’s not just because of the membership, it’s because of the players. I was able to come back and instead of just coming back and being given a spot, I sat out and came back and made sure I did my time and earned a spot here.”
“Because of that, I feel like not only the players but the people on the PGA Tour are happy to have me back because I came back the right way.”
advertisement
You would expect Reid to come back with the exact opposite attitude, but fair play to him, he’s trying to do this the right way.
Patrick Reed talks about what has improved in his game since leaving LIV Golf
Mr. Reed’s departure from LIV Golf came as a surprise to many. By the time he and Koepka left, it appeared to signal the beginning of the end for the tour.
He quickly showed what LIV lacked, winning twice on the Middle East DP World Tour and making a name for himself at Augusta National. Since then, however, Reed has played little and explained his decision to sit out the event to Golf Channel.
advertisement
Speaking before the U.S. Open at Shinnecock Hills, he said, “I think the biggest thing for me was being able to spend time with my family and have time to work and prepare for a major tournament.”
“In the past, I would go into a major game fully prepared because I had a game to play, but this time and this year I feel like it’s the first time I’ve actually worked on the game and been able to swing basically the way I wanted. It’s a completely different approach.”
“But I knew I was coming after I decided to come back to the PGA Tour. At that point in my schedule, I knew I was going to take time off after Augusta and after the PGA. But I knew once the U.S. Open was over, I was going to hit the ground running. I was going to get back to my normal self and play a lot.”
Both Koepka and Reed have played much better golf since leaving LIV. This, in contrast to LIV players’ performance in the majors since joining the tour, is significant evidence that playing in LIV is not good for the state of the game.
advertisement
Reid detailed what has improved in his game this year, adding, “I think the biggest thing is hitting the ball. I’m hitting the ball a little bit better.”
“And because we have a good understanding of what’s going on with each golf shot, if something goes wrong, we can fix it on the spot on the golf course instead of having to go through and figure it out after the round.”
He’s had all the time in the world to prepare for Shinnecock, so don’t be surprised if he improves his score this week.
