THIS year’s Scottish Open could see the return of one of golf’s most controversial players to the PGA Tour – despite him still being BANNED from the circuit.
The tournament is one of the most prestigious events – and largest purses – on the PGA Tour‘s schedule.
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The Scottish Open could see a return to the PGA Tour circuit for this controversial starCredit: AFP
Fans will remember his Ryder Cup battles – and his win at The Masters a few years backCredit: Getty
Because of that it attracts many of the world’s top players to Scotland each year, who also enjoy being able to tee it up on a top quality links course in the week prior to the Open Championship.
And among those who would be headlines names at the Renaissance Club in East Lothian is a former major winner who is currently banned from competing on the PGA Tour.
That man is Patrick Reed.
The brash, love-me-or-hate-me, I-don’t-care winner of The Masters in 2018 left the PGA Tour for the mega millions of LIV Golf in 2022.
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Reed walked away from golf’s biggest tour after years of courting controversy, having been at the centre of several accusations of cheating (a reputation that has followed him since his days at the University of Georgia).
But he announced a stunning U-turn at the start of this year and is aiming to return to the PGA Tour full-time in 2027.
His defection to LIV means that he has to serve a one-year suspension (a year on from his last event with the rival tour) before being eligible to play in a PGA event.
That would keep him out of action on the circuit until late August this year, before he can reapply for full membership next season.
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In spite of his ban however, Reed IS able to play in the Scottish Open due to a loophole in the rulebook.
That’s because the Scottish Open is a co-sanctioned event between the PGA Tour and the DP World Tour.
While Reed remains suspended from the PGA Tour, he has already started playing again on the DP World Tour (formerly known as the European Tour).
And he’s not just been playing. He’s been winning.
Reed won the Hero Dubai Desert Classic last month and followed that up with a runners-up finish in the Bahrain Championship a week later.
The American was back in the winners’ enclosure this past weekend, claiming the Qatar Masters title.
Reed said after his latest success: “It’s always been a dream of mine to be an American that comes out to win the Race to Dubai and we’re off to a fast start.
“This little run I’ve had, two wins and a second, it’s awesome. We couldn’t ask anything more than what we did.
“It’s special, to come out here especially to get two wins early on in the season, and hopefully there’s a lot more to come.”
Those wins put him in pole position in the Race to Dubai rankings – and primed for a renewed rivalry with Rory McIlroy.
The Northern Irishman has won the Race to Dubai seven times (one short of Scots golfing legend Colin Montgomerie‘s eight) but this year, Reed is aiming to steal the crown from his old adversary.
Reed and McIlroy have a chequered past that dates back to their highly-charged – bordering on bad-tempered – Ryder Cup matches, which started in 2016.
The pair’s rivalry extended to The Masters in 2018, when McIlroy was in the final group with Reed and chasing the career grand slam (that he would eventually claim last year).
But instead of making history, McIlroy had a front row seat to Reed’s career-defining moment.
Reed slipped down the rankings before joining LIV and he and McIlroy’s relationship took a turn for the worse too.
Things reached boiling point in late 2022, when Reed served McIlroy with subpoena papers on Christmas Eve pertaining to the American’s defamation lawsuit against the PGA Tour, golf commentators and others, alleging they had conspired against him and LIV (Reed was eventually ordered pay the legal fees to various media outlets and journalists after the judge dismissed his $750million claim).
McIlroy then blanked Reed a few weeks later on the driving range at the Dubai Desert Classic, a move to which Reed responded by throwing a tee at him.
Tee-gate may well have been blown out of proportion when all is said and done, but it would serve as an interesting preamble should McIlroy and Reed find themselves in the hunt for the Scottish Open trophy this July.
Oh, and not to mention the winner’s share of the £6.6m prize money on offer.
Reed has been on top form on the DP World Tour since quitting LIV GolfCredit: Getty
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