Patrick Reed extends his advantage, approaches second European victory in three weeks.
DOHA, Qatar — Patrick Reed maintained a flawless scorecard on Saturday, finishing with a 2-under 70 in the Qatar Masters, a performance that slightly increased his lead and significantly boosted his confidence as he aims for his second European Tour title in three weeks.
Reed’s only birdies came from a 20-foot putt on the second hole and a straightforward up-and-down on the par-5 10th. He trailed Joakim Lagergren during the front nine, but the Swede recorded four bogeys over his final 11 holes, causing him to drop back.
Reed stands at 14-under 202, two strokes ahead of former British Amateur champion Jacob Skov Olesen from Denmark, who posted a 68.
Reed managed to birdie just one of the par 5s at Doha Golf Club, finishing with a three-putt par from 95 feet on the last hole. He expressed satisfaction with his game control, especially with his irons.
“I felt like I struck the ball better today than I did the previous two days … well, really compared to yesterday, and two shots worse. So it’s an intriguing game,” Reed stated. “The golf game feels good, it feels solid, it feels steady, and I just need to go out there and keep the foot on the gas tomorrow.”
This marks the 35-year-old American’s fourth consecutive week in the Middle East, a transformative month for the 2018 Masters champion.
Reed secured victory at the Dubai Desert Classic against a competitive field for his first European Tour title, disclosed that he had not yet renewed his agreement with Saudi-funded LIV Golf, and subsequently departed the league after failing to reach a new contract.
Despite this, Reed lost in a playoff last week in Bahrain and is now one round away from another European Tour title, which would elevate him to the top of the Race to Dubai and into the top 20 of the world rankings for the first time since September 2021.
Additionally, this achievement would nearly guarantee him a PGA Tour card for 2027 from the leading 10 players on the European Tour who are not already exempt. Reed would be close to the points total that secured a PGA Tour card last year, with four majors and five Rolex Series events still to play.
The PGA Tour has indicated that Reed could make a return as early as September, a year after his last LIV event.
