Patrick Reed has taken the first visible step toward a return to the PGA Tour, teeing it up on the DP World Tour just a day after confirming his exit from LIV Golf. He has been reconstructing his career at the moment with an eye firmly set on rejoining the PGA Tour in 2027. However, behind all these professional calculations lies a different story.

It’s a deeply personal reason that forced Reed to part ways with the PIF-backed league after the 2025 season.

“Last year playing 32 weeks – it was hard, obviously, physically. But emotionally, it’s harder. My kiddos being aged 11 and 8,” shared Patrick Reed.

The golfer and father added, “I just got done playing for the last five weeks before that. I was like, ‘Well, honey, I’m going for five weeks.’ She just started bawling and crying. That doesn’t make it easy. And so that part’s hard. That part is a sacrifice that playing 32 and missing the great years with the kiddos is tough.”

Reed revealed how his 11-year-old daughter was bothered by staying away from her dad. Little Windsor Wells started enquiring about the same every time it was time for Reed to leave for his commitments as a LIV Golfer.

Years of near-constant global travel and extended stretches away from home have taken a toll. More on Reed’s little ones than on himself.  The physical demands were manageable, but the emotional weight of staying away from his family became harder to ignore and overcome.

“That was probably the easiest part when I was on the PGA Tour, because when I finished on Sundays, I could fly home and see them Sunday night and all of Monday, and then fly out either late Monday night to my next spot or even Tuesday morning. But you can’t do that when you’re traveling the world and playing,” explained the former LIV golfer.

Reed’s decision follows the introduction of the PGA Tour’s Returning Player Program.

The program that helped former LIV Golf star Brooks Koepka get reinstated under the PGA Tour. Although the Returning Member Program kept the roadway open till February 2, Reed will have to wait longer for full reinstatement as he does not meet the eligibility criteria.

The program demands at least one Major win, and the golfer to be away from the PGA Tour for at least 2 years to get reinstatement under this policy. Plus, they need to have at least one Masters win since 2022, and Reed has last won it in 2018. 

However, he has already mapped out his short-term future, committing to the DP World Tour schedule through 2026.

Reed would be staying competitive at the highest level outside the United States. But presently, as he has teed off for the DP World Tour event, the Bahrain Championship at Bahrain’s Royal Golf Club, after the first day, he has been visibly struggling, standing at T58 with 1 under par. 

Reflecting on his performance in Bahrain, Reed exclaimed, “It’s a frustrating day, obviously, going out there and only shooting one under par, especially when I felt like I hit the ball pretty well.”

Meanwhile, as Reed’s move to return to the PGA Tour is causing shockwaves, Harris English doubled down with one more probable reason why Reed departed from LIV.

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Harris English sounds off a warning about LIV Golf’s future following Patrick Reed’s exit

Harris English is readying himself to defend his Farmers Insurance Open title at Torrey Pines. Going up against the likes of Brooks Koepka, English cannot help but wonder about the ongoing unrest within the LIV Golf.

English stated that the LIV golfers are not happy with how things have been panning out. 

“I knew the Brooks thing was coming by some of his comments. I didn’t know it was going to happen this quickly. The dominoes are starting to fall. Maybe those guys on the LIV Tour are not that happy out there,” said English. 

Losing Koepka and Reed in the same month has widened the crack in the Saudi-backed league. According to English, there have been several reasons that have triggered golfers to abandon the Saudi-backed league.

Firstly, with almost $500 million in losses, the league is trying to cut back on its lucrative, longtime financial contracts. 

Another main concern that might have set champion golfers like Koepka and Reed off is the lack of competition.

English pointed out that for iconic golfers, money alone cannot buy satisfaction. They need to have top-tier competition and play the best tournaments in the world.

And that is why Koepka can easily ignore his $100+ contract to prioritize supporting his wife, Jena Sims. Likewise, Reed was happier winning $1.53 million at the Hero Dubai Desert Classic than his $4 million paycheck in Dallas last year.