PATRICK REED: I WOULD CONSIDER QUITTING LIV FOR PGA TOUR RETURN
Patrick Reed would consider quitting LIV Golf and returning to the PGA Tour if he was offered the same comeback terms as Brooks Koepka.
The American made the stunning revelation here at the Dubai Desert Classic where he plays this week on the DP World Tour. As one of the best-known, and yes, most controversial characters in the sport, his comments should worry LIV and intrigue the PGA Tour in equal measure – particularly as he called the latter “the best tour in the world”.
It will be fascinating to see if the Tour reacts and extends the criteria of its newly formed “Returning Members Programme” to allow Reed a direct and hasty route back.
In granting Koepka’s return, the Tour’s committee – including Tiger Woods – stipulated that any former member who had also won a major since 2022 and been on LIV for at least two seasons would be eligible to rejoin. Reed won the Masters in 2018 and so like Dustin Johnson (2020 Masters) and Phil Mickelson (2021 US PGA Championship) was excluded.
Indeed, the only other rebels qualified are Jon Rahm, Cameron Smith and Bryson DeChambeau, but this trio all quickly stated their intention to remain on the Saudi-funded breakaway circuit. Reed was not nearly as hasty.
“It’s not really a decision for me at the moment,” Reed told Telegraph Sport. “I mean, that was for players [who won majors from] 2022 and on. [But] I definitely would have to think about it, if that number was [taken] down to 2018.”
When pressed on if he would like to play again on his home circuit, he replied: “Of course. I mean, if it’s up to me, I’d play everywhere. I’m already playing on three tours [LIV, the DP World Tour and the Asian Tour], so why not add one more?
“I always enjoyed my time out there on the PGA Tour. I mean, let’s be honest, it’s the best tour in the world. Look at what they’ve done in golf. You know, I could see myself playing there at some point again.
“I mean... you just never know. Everything’s so fluid, everything’s discombobulated in golf. But at the end of the day, whatever my name’s called, I’m going to show up and play and, you know, try to play the best and not only represent myself, but my family, and also whatever my team [is].”
The 35-year-old is a member of the 4Aces outfit on LIV and his captain, Johnson, is also playing here at the Emirates, so it will be interesting to hear his reaction to his player’s viewpoint. Johnson, who like Reed has won the Masters as well as the US Open, recently signed a multi-year contract extension with LIV.
It is unclear if, like DeChambeau, Reed is in the final year of his LIV contract and if he is simply looking for some leverage to negotiate a new deal. However, he should have more than enough in the bank already. Reed was signed to LIV with a reported up-front fee of $50m (£37m) and has earned almost $40m in the four LIV seasons to date.
The situation is complicated by the fact that unlike DeChambeau, Reed does not have any full-time status on the PGA Tour so would presumably have to either go through qualifying or try to win one of the 10 US cards on offer from the DP World Tour. Reed was always something of a pantomime villain on the PGA Tour and the fans and marketeers would surely like to see him back.
Certainly, Reed is a popular player on the DP World Tour, despite his feisty US Ryder Cup performances that earned him the nickname of “Captain America”. Reed has made no secret of his passion for the biennial match and he would love to play in the Stars and Stripes again. Another factor for wanting to return might be his penchant for playing a packed schedule. Despite being banned from the PGA Tour, Reed managed to play in 32 events in 2025.
That is far more than any other LIV player, with the league featuring only 14 stops. Reed teed it up in 10 DP World Tour events, as well as the four majors, and his third place at the Masters highlighted his enduring quality. Reed won the LIV event in Dallas last year and performed so consistently on the European and Asia circuits that his world ranking rose from outside the top 70 to 44th.
He is one of only three LIV players in the top 50 (DeChambeau and Tyrrell Hatton the others) and is desperate to remain there to ensure he can gain entry to this year’s US Open and Open. And with that in mind he will play in the Bahrain Championship next week, his third DP World Tour event in as many weeks, after finishing 26th in Sunday’s Dubai Invitational and playing here at the Majlis Course, where he ran Rory McIlroy so close three years ago.
There can be no doubting Reed’s commitment to his profession. LIV has paid fines of approximately $4m to the DP World Tour for Reed to carry on competing in its events – and this year Reed will pay the sanctions from his own pocket.
There are ongoing talks between Wentworth and Riyadh to see if a resolution can be reached so LIV players can freely appear on the DP World Tour, but if not Reed will cough up to ensure he can keep his membership. It would probably cost him $1m a year.
“Yeah, starting this year, the fines will go on the players, not on LIV,” he said. “I hope there is a resolution, I mean, especially for a guy who has always come over, always supported this tour. I’ve played in everything from the big events to the small events. I haven’t changed the way I’ve come over and played since I got my card over here.
“I’m still planning on coming over and supporting this tour. This tour is unbelievable and I’m not gonna allow a couple fines to get in my way.”
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