SAN DIEGO — Patrick Reed has become the second major champion to leave the Saudi-funded LIV Golf League, announcing Wednesday he will spend the rest of the year on the Europe-based DP World Tour with an eye on returning to the PGA Tour as early as September.
His stunning decision was revealed just three days after he won the Dubai Desert Classic and the same week that five-time major champion Brooks Koepka and fellow American returns to the PGA Tour in the Farmers Insurance Open, which tees off Thursday at Torrey Pines Golf Course.
“I’m a traditionalist at heart, and I was born to play on the PGA Tour, which is where my story began with my wife, Justine,” Reed, 35, said in a released statement. “I am very fortunate for the opportunities that have come my way and grateful for the life we have created. I am moving forward in my career, and I look forward to competing on the PGA Tour and DP World Tour. I can’t wait to get back out there and revisit some of the best places on earth.”
The PGA Tour sent a memo to players outlining the path back for players like Reed, who did not fit into the “Returning Member Program” that was offered only to those who had won a major or The Players Championship since 2022.
Reed won the 2018 Masters at Augusta National Golf Club. The PGA Tour said he would be eligible to return a year from his last LIV Golf League appearance on Aug. 24, 2025. He would not face additional discipline from the PGA Tour because Reed resigned his membership when he left for LIV, and he was not part of the antitrust lawsuit filed against the PGA Tour in 2022.