Patrick Reed was one of the early recruits to join LIV Golf in 2022. But he opted out early this year, alongside Brooks Koepka, right before PIF announced stopping funds. Was this just a coincidence, or did he know something that others didn’t?

“I had no idea that was going to come about,” Reed told reporters at Aronimink. “It had nothing to do with that. I was utterly surprised. Whatever their future is, whether it’s on the DP Tour, trying to get back to the PGA Tour or wherever they’re playing, hopefully [they can] continue to play solid golf and go out there and do what they do.”

He has played multiple events on the DP World Tour at the beginning of the year. He won the Hero Dubai Desert Classic and the Qatar Masters while finishing tied for 2nd at the BAPCO Bahrain Championship. This helped him advance to 1st place in the season-long Race to Dubai rankings, around 500+ points over Rory McIlroy. If he finishes in the top 10 at the end of the year, he could win a PGA Tour card for 2027.

Before his win in Dubai in January, Reed and his team were negotiating for a new contract with LIV Golf. Four days later, he won the tournament and decided that was it; his time on LIV was over. He released a statement on January 28, 2026, and said he wanted to return to the PGA Tour to get those competitive juices flowing.

Even the thought of PIF pulling the fund didn’t occur to him. He just wanted to be on the PGA Tour.

“None whatsoever,” Reed told the media. “No. That was strictly just how I felt on the golf course when I was in Dubai. Want to get that feeling back, going out there and playing, having those ups and downs, and that traditional type of golf where you’re the last man standing on the range? It had nothing to do with that. I was utterly surprised.”

Just over 3 months later, on April 30, 2026, PIF released a statement confirming the rumors. Although LIV Golf’s roster features elite talent, including Jon Rahm, Bryson DeChambeau, Cameron Smith, and Phil Mickelson, it is certainly not as competitive as the PGA Tour. And it is clearly visible in OWGR’s field strength numbers, too.

For instance, last week’s LIV Golf Virginia had a field strength of 112.93536. On the contrary, the PGA Tour’s Myrtle Beach Classic, which is just a regular event and was scheduled alongside the Truist Championship, had a field strength of 153.93417.

To add to that, LIV Golf events don’t have a cut. That takes away the competitive spirit and the ups and downs Patrick Reed wanted to experience. While the PGA Tour also has some Signature Events with no cuts, most tournaments there feature a cut after the first two rounds.

Unlike Koepka, Reed was not eligible for the Returning Member Program. So, for now, he is competing on the DP World Tour and in major championships.

“Once the U.S. Open gets here, it’s going to be hot and heavy,” he added. “I’ll be going overseas and playing a lot of those tournaments.”

Currently, Patrick Reed’s aim is not to play many events and wear himself out ahead of the majors. And his plan did pan out.

Patrick Reed’s PGA Championship 2026 Round 1 overview

Many LIV golfers faltered at the 2026 Masters. This included Jon Rahm (T38), Bryson DeChambeau (missed the cut), Sergio Garcia (52), and Cameron Smith (missed the cut). But Patrick Reed finished T12.

Since then, the 2026 PGA Championship has been his first start. And it seems that he’s never lost that momentum from the first major of the season. He carded a bogey-free round of 2 under 68. His round included two birdies, on holes 3 and 11. After the end of Round 1, he was only 1 stroke behind co-leaders, featuring Scottie Scheffler, Aldrich Potgieter, Riyo Hisatsune, and others.

If nothing else, there’s a significant improvement in Patrick Reed’s performances this year, be it on the DP World Tour or the first major. Last year, the former Masters champion finished solo third at the first major of the season but missed the cut at 2 of the remaining three, including the PGA Championship. A year before that, he finished T12 at the Masters 2024 and T53 at the PGA Championship.

The numbers hint that he is likely not a big fan of playing in the second major of the season. This time, though, he has had a good start. What remains is to see if he can continue with that in the remaining three rounds.