After his Dubai win, Patrick Reed faces a decision as his LIV Golf contract remains unsigned ahead of the Riyadh season opener.
At a press conference 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. When asked if he would participate in LIV Golf’s season opener in Riyadh in early February, Reed, who has been playing for LIV Golf’s 4Aces GC team since June 2022, initially stated he “should be ready” for the next season, prompting further questions during the press conference.
LIV Golf Contract Yet to Be Renewed
It emerged that the 35-year-old has not yet renewed his contract with LIV Golf and aims to finalize details with the Saudi league within the next two weeks ahead of the LIV Golf Riyadh tournament from February 4 to 7. “We are still working on the contract details,” Reed said, adding, “We are not finished yet.” Reed explained that during tournament phases, he prefers not to discuss business matters: “I don’t like to talk about business while I’m playing. That’s why Monday to Wednesday is the only time to discuss such things.” He added that after focusing on golf from Thursday onward, he would discuss other matters again later in the week.
Patrick Reed Plans to Compete in Riyadh
Reed is also listed to compete in the upcoming DP World Tour event, the Bapco Energies Bahrain Championship. Despite the uncertainty, Reed expects to extend his contract: “I haven’t spoken with the team at home yet,” he said, “but at the moment, I plan to play in Riyadh and would be surprised if I didn’t.” Over four years with LIV Golf, Reed finished three times in the top seven overall and secured his first individual LIV Golf victory last season in Dallas. Concurrently, he remained active outside LIV, playing 18 official world ranking tournaments last year compared to only ten the year before. Ten appearances were on the DP World Tour, of which Reed is a lifetime member, despite ongoing fines due to his LIV involvement. Earlier this week, he mentioned he is willing to pay all necessary fees to stay active on the DP World Tour.
DP World Tour as Possible Route Back to PGA Tour
After his Hero Dubai Desert Classic win, Patrick Reed re-entered the top 30 in the world golf rankings, currently holding 29th position. Should he not return to LIV, he sees the DP World Tour as a route back to the PGA Tour. Unlike Brooks Koepka, who is celebrating his PGA Tour return at the Farmers Insurance Open, Reed cannot easily return due to his 2018 Masters win, whereas the return program requires a major title won no later than 2022. “If I don’t play LIV this year, one possibility would be to play more on this tour (DP World Tour), try to secure a top 10 spot in the Race to Dubai, and thus earn a way back to the PGA Tour,” Reed stated.