Patrick Reed recently admitted that he enjoyed being “a thorn in the side” and it is showing. The man who walked out on LIV Golf last month is now sitting pretty in the world’s top 20 and leading the Race to Dubai where he is also threatening Rory McIlroy’s record-breaking ambitions.
It has been an eventful fortnight for the 35-year-old American. After winning the Hero Dubai Desert Classic last month, he revealed that he was still to sign a new deal with LIV Golf. A few days later he walked away from the Saudi-funded team circuit. Without an immediate route back to the PGA Tour, he said he would play on the DP World Tour (DPWT) until the end of his year’s suspension from the date of his last LIV tournament. He then finished runner-up at the Bahrain Championship and followed that on Sunday by winning the Qatar Masters, two strokes ahead of Calum Hill.
The significance was considerable. Not only did it propel him into the top 20 for the first time in five years and take his 2026 DPWT earnings past the $2million (about £1.47million) mark, but it sent an early message to McIlroy. The winner of the past four Race to Dubai crowns, McIlroy is now one short of Colin Montgomerie’s record tally of eight order of merit titles. His most recent triumph came after playing in 11 counting events, including the majors, but Reed is intent on playing far more regularly.
Reed’s triumph took his earnings for 2026 past $2million
KARIM JAAFAR / AFP VIA GETTY IMAGES
“It’s always on your radar,” he said of the Race to Dubai. “Trust me, you’d rather be in the lead than hunting and chasing. It’s always been a dream of mine to be an American and come out here and win the Race to Dubai. And hey, we’re off to a fast start.”
His victory effectively assures him a PGA Tour card for 2027. The top ten DPWT players who are not already exempt get full playing privileges on the PGA Tour. Reed will return to his home tour in September as a past champion, but the DPWT route will get him into more tournaments.
Reed’s form also throws some light on the PGA Tour’s contrived Returning Member Program, designed to target four players it wanted back from LIV Golf — Brooks Koepka, Bryson DeChambeau, Jon Rahm and Cameron Smith. Koepka was the only one to take advantage of a way to return without a ban, but tied for 56th on his comeback at the Farmers Insurance Open and then missed the cut at the Phoenix Open on Friday.
At the Doha Golf Club, Reed had an early bogey but steadied the ship with a bogey-free back nine. A round of 70 took him to 16 under par, which was too good for Hill, 31, also runner-up with Reed in Bahrain last week, despite the Scot’s brilliant 30 for the back nine.
Smylie, partaking in the Australian “shoey” drinking ritual, will move from 134th in the world into the top 80, with LIV events now earning ranking points
FRANCOIS NEL/GETTY IMAGES
Meanwhile, LIV Golf got world ranking points for the first time this weekend, with new signing Elvis Smylie taking the top prize in Riyadh after beating Rahm by one shot. The win lifts Smylie, a 23-year-old Australian, from 134th in the rankings to the top 80, as well as earning him $4.7million from both his solo and team triumphs. “I wanted to prove that I’m one of the best out here and I feel like I’ve done that,” he said. “It’s only up from here.”
Rahm finished with a round of 63 in LIV’s first 72-hole event after ditching its signature 54-hole format. “I thought it would be better for me, my team, and the golf fan in general,” he said. “I was always a proponent of 72 holes.” He jumps into the top 70 in the world rankings after starting the day 97th.