Patrick Reed states he has not yet completed a new agreement with LIV Golf.
Following his 12th international victory at the Dubai Desert Classic on Sunday, Patrick Reed stated that he is currently a free agent and has not yet finalized his contract for participation in the LIV Golf League this season.
While Reed is optimistic about competing when the LIV Golf schedule commences on February 4 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, the former Masters champion mentioned that there are still aspects of his contract that need to be resolved.
“Not that I know of,” Reed remarked on Sunday when asked if he had participated in his final LIV Golf event. “Not at this moment. It really just depends on everything. I mean, I haven’t communicated with the team back home or anything like that. But as of now, I intend to tee it up there in Riyadh, and I would be surprised if we don’t.”
LIV Golf announced on January 14 that it had extended a multiyear contract to two-time major champion Dustin Johnson and suggested that Reed would be rejoining the 4Aces, alongside Belgium’s Thomas Detry and Thomas Pieters.
However, Reed indicated that the agreement is not yet finalized.
“We’re still in the process of finalizing the contract,” Reed stated. “We haven’t completed that yet.”
With his 4-stroke victory over England’s Andy Sullivan at Emirates Golf Club in Dubai, Reed secured his first win on the DP World Tour since 2020.
Reed is anticipated to rise to 29th in the Official World Golf Ranking, which nearly guarantees him entry into the four majors this season. He holds a lifetime exemption to compete in the Masters and may have qualified for the U.S. Open and The Open through pathways available for LIV golfers based on the league’s season-long points standings.
“It’s always rewarding to secure the majors,” Reed commented. “I mean, any time you achieve a win, it’s significant. It holds great meaning. But to accomplish it early in the year like this allows me to carry momentum into the season, and I’m uncertain where it will place me in the World Ranking after this week.”
At 35, Reed mentioned that he is not currently engaged in discussions about returning to the PGA Tour. A nine-time tour winner, Reed’s last non-major appearance was at The Memorial in June 2022.
If Reed does not re-sign with LIV Golf, he stated that competing on the DP World Tour and aiming to earn his way back to the PGA Tour by finishing in the top 10 in points is another possibility.
“Good golf takes care of itself, right?” Reed said. “If I end up not playing on LIV this year, it would obviously mean that I would be competing more on this tour and trying to secure one of those top 10 spots to allow myself to return to the PGA Tour.”
On January 12, former LIV Golf player Brooks Koepka made his return to the PGA Tour through a new Returning Member Program. Only golfers who have been absent from the tour for at least two years and have won one of the majors or the Players Championship since 2022 are eligible for this program.
Bryson DeChambeau (2024 U.S. Open), Jon Rahm (2023 Masters), and Cameron Smith (2022 Players Championship and Open Championship) are other LIV golfers eligible to return under specific conditions, but they have indicated their intention to remain with the Saudi Arabian-financed breakaway league this season.
PGA Tour CEO Brian Rolapp stated that the deadline for LIV golfers to apply for reinstatement under the program is February 2.
