Patrick Reed is currently on cloud nine. In the past three weeks, the 35-year-old golfer has clinched two DP World Tour titles. Having fallen behind in the OWGR rankings after joining LIV Golf, Reed has now stormed back into the top-20 of the OWGR rankings. And looking at his electric form, calls to get Reed on the greens immediately have only grown stronger. 

“Somebody get roll on the horn and just get this guy on the tour next week. Like this is the momentum. He’s playing incredibly well. We all want to see Patrick Reed on the PGA Tour on a regular basis. Let’s just do it. He’s playing so well,” said Trent Ryan on an episode of the Fore Play Podcast. 

“It’s not one of these situations where he’s a guy who’s now limping back to the tour. He is at the top of his game, seemingly. And to have him on the leaderboards at PGA Tour events now would be so much fun,” Ryan further added. 

Well, Ryan might not be wrong. Having confirmed his exit from LIV Golf on January 28, 2026, it has only been been a couple of weeks. And that was enough for Reed to announce himself as one of the fiercest competitors coming into the PGA Tour.

It all started back at the Hero Dubai Desert Classic. Starting 2026 in electric form, Reed carded rounds of 69-66-67-72 in Dubai to secure the win. Next up, at the Bapco Bahrain Championship, the 35-year-old failed finished as the runner-up to give his OWGR ranking a solid boost. 

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And Reed isn’t looking to stop anytime soon as the US golfer also won the Qatar Masters 2026. He displayed a stellar performance with rounds of 65-67-70-70. Finishing 16-under par 272, Reed won the tournament, edging out Calum Hill by a margin of two strokes. With over 136 OWGR points, Reed has now cracked the top 20 after 5 years. 

Unfortunately, as Reed last appeared for LIV Golf in August 2025, he is not eligible to play in the PGA Tour as of now. As per the rules set by the PGA Tour, any returning LIV Golf member will have to serve a ban of 1 year before being reinstated. Going by the rule, Reed is not eligible to play until August 2026. 

Thus, Ryan further explained how Reed’s electric form will elevate the quality of the field and the competition significantly. Pressing the PGA Tour to make further amends, Ryan pointed out on the podcast how the Returning Member Program was something ‘they drove on a napkin.’ And he is not the only person to criticize the PGA Tour’s Returning Member Program rule. Notably, the rule has come under significant scrutiny in recent times. 

PGA Tour return sparks confusion as players question LIV penalties

Many have welcomed Brooks Koepka and Co. with open arms. However, some others from the PGA Tour expressed their discontent regarding LIV Golfers getting the opportunity to return to the tour without many consequences. 

With Koepka getting the opportunity to be back on the tour within just weeks of bidding farewell to LIV due to the Returning Member Program, several questions were raised. Even more so because many have started to point out how several former LIV golfers are facing less harsh penalties than were promised before.

Right before the 2026 WM Phoenix Open, Viktor Hovland stated his opinion on the issue, adding, “I think it just makes the products, the fields better. However, it does kind of put the TOUR in a tricky position now.”

Hovland further stated, “You’ve said one thing for a long time and now we’re changing things. What precedent are you setting then to the future players now if I can go to a rival tour, get paid, and now seemingly come back again without the biggest consequences.”

During the time of LIV Golf’s inception, the then-PGA Tour commissioner, Jay Monahan, announced strict rules and regulations that forced many to rethink and not join the Saudi-backed league. Now that a newly launched programme by Brian Rolapp and team made it comparatively easier for Koepka to get reinstated, discussions have increased

Not just Hovland, but Japanese PGA Tour pro Hideki Matsuyama, too, resorted to questioning the decision of the tour. While he praised Koepka for having the courage to leave the PIF-backed league and apply for reinstatement, he expressed his confusion regarding the steps taken by the tour. 

“But I’m puzzled that the PGA didn’t explain anything to the players. At the very least, I didn’t know that such a rule was in place”, said Matsuyama, expressing his dissatisfaction.

Matsuyama further explained his opinion, stating, “While there has been a financial hit, what about the non-monetary aspects? What happened to the rule that players who participated in LIV were not allowed to compete [on the PGA Tour] for a year?”

The Returning Member Program has already opened the doors for Koepka. However, it was reportedly a one-time initiative that also followed an eligibility criterion to allow golfers a path to return. Although Koepka has found his way back to the tour, several former LIV golfers, including Pat Perez, Patrick Reed, Hudson Swafford, and Kevin Na, are still waiting to tee off in a PGA Tour event once again.