After his Dubai win, Patrick Reed faces a decision as his LIV Golf contract remains open with the season opener in Riyadh approaching.
Following his victory at the Hero Dubai Desert Classic on the DP World Tour, Texan Patrick Reed spoke about his future with the Saudi-backed LIV Golf league during a press conference. When asked if he would participate in LIV Golf’s season opener in Riyadh in early February, Reed—who has played for LIV Golf since June 2022 as part of the 4Aces GC team—initially responded that he \”should be ready\” for the next season, prompting further inquiries.
LIV Golf Contract Not Yet Extended
The 35-year-old revealed he has not yet renewed his LIV Golf contract and aims to finalize details with the Saudi league within approximately two weeks before the LIV Golf Riyadh tournament from February 4 to 7. \”We are still working on the contract details,\” Reed said, adding, \”We are not done yet.\”
Reed explained he prefers not to discuss business matters during tournaments: \”I don’t like to talk about business or similar things while I’m playing. That’s why Monday to Wednesday is the only time to discuss those topics,\” he said. \”When I arrived here this week, I knew that from Thursday on, I would focus solely on golf. From tonight and tomorrow, we can talk about other things again.\”
Patrick Reed: \”Currently Planning to Play in Riyadh\”
Reed is also scheduled to compete in the upcoming DP World Tour event, the Bapco Energies Bahrain Championship. Despite the uncertainty, he anticipates renewing his contract: \”I haven’t yet discussed with the team at home or anything,\” Reed said. \”But right now, I plan to play in Riyadh, and I would be surprised if we don’t.\”
Over four years with LIV Golf, Reed placed in the top seven of the overall standings three times and secured his first individual victory on the LIV Golf Tour last season in Dallas. Simultaneously, he remained active outside the league, competing in 18 Official World Golf Ranking events last year, up from only ten non-LIV starts the previous year. Ten of these appearances were on the DP World Tour, of which Reed is a lifetime member—despite ongoing fines due to his involvement with LIV. Earlier this week, Reed stated he is willing to pay whatever is necessary to continue competing on the DP World Tour.
DP World Tour as a Possible Route Back to the PGA Tour
After his Hero Dubai Desert Classic title, Patrick Reed climbed into the top 30 in the Official World Golf Ranking, currently sitting at 29th. Should he not return to LIV, Reed sees the DP World Tour as a potential path back to the PGA Tour. Unlike Brooks Koepka, who is celebrating his PGA return at the Farmers Insurance Open, Reed cannot easily return due to his Masters win being in 2018, whereas the PGA’s return program requires a major title no earlier than 2022. \”If I don’t play LIV this year, one option would be to play more on this tour (DP World Tour), try to secure a top 10 spot in the Race to Dubai, and thereby enable my return