SAN DIEGO (AP) — Patrick Reed is the second major champion to leave Saudi-funded LIV Golf, announcing Wednesday he will spend the rest of the year on the European tour with an eye on returning to the PGA Tour as early as September.
His stunning decision, just three days after he won the Dubai Desert Classic, comes the same week that five-time major champion Brooks Koepka returns to the PGA Tour at Torrey Pines.
“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 said on social media. “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 Masters in 2018. The tour said he would be eligible to return a year from his last LIV Golf 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.
“I’m not surprised guys are wanting to come back,” Xander Schauffele said. “Thanks to the whole split, I think we’ve tried to make our product as good as possible. If they didn’t like it then, I’m sure they’ll like it the second time around.”
Reed can play in the FedEx Cup Fall — the first event is the Biltmore Championship Asheville in North Carolina on Sept. 17-20 — if he receives a sponsor exemption. He cannot use his limited status as a past champion until 2027.
Reed also could earn a full card by finishing among the top 10 players in the Race to Dubai who don’t already have PGA Tour membership. His victory in Dubai moved him to No. 2 in the standings, and now he has a full schedule in Europe — commercially known as the DP World Tour — ahead of him.
He also is set for the four majors, having risen to No. 29 in the world.
LIV Golf begins its fifth season in one week in Saudi Arabia. Reed is playing in Bahrain this week as part of the European tour schedule, his third straight week.
Upon his return to the PGA Tour, Reed would not be eligible to receive shares in the Player Equity Program through 2030. That was part of the agreement for Koepka’s return — no equity for five years, and no access to FedEx Cup bonus money this year.
Reed would be eligible to be a captain’s pick for the Presidents Cup in September.
Reed last played a team competition in the 2019 Presidents Cup in Australia. While he has a 12-9-5 record overall in Ryder Cup and Presidents Cup competitions, his last two appearances included some negativity. He complained to The New York Times about not being used the right way in a U.S. loss in Paris in 2018, and his caddie shoved a fan in Australia in 2019.
It was not clear who would replace Reed on the 4 Aces team in LIV Golf, which begins its fifth season next week in Riyadh. Dustin Johnson is the captain, with LIV newcomer Thomas Detry and Thomas Pieters also on the team.
“We were not able to come to terms with Patrick on a potential contract extension. We’re grateful for everything he contributed during his time on the 4 Aces at LIV Golf and wish him the best,” LIV Golf said in a statement.
The PGA Tour said three other players — Kevin Na, Hudson Swafford and Pat Perez — also have reinstated their membership but face other disciplinary issues the tour did not disclose.
Perez, who is eligible for the PGA Tour Champions through career money, and Swafford were plaintiffs in the antitrust lawsuit filed against the tour. Perez and Swafford, who last played LIV Golf in 2024, can return in 2027. Perez was part of the LIV broadcast team last year.
“The dominos are starting to fall,” Harris English said. “I think they’re seeing the PGA Tour is getting stronger, and seeing that money isn’t the be-all, end-all.”
Reed doesn’t have the achievements of Koepka, though he has long been a polarizing figure that often overlooks his status as one of the most global players in golf and fiercest competitors. He has won 12 times on four tours — frequently playing in Europe or Asia without big appearance fees — and began his PGA Tour career by going through Monday qualifiers.
He is best known for taking down Rory McIlroy in a spirited Ryder Cup match at Hazeltine in 2016, and engaging the Scottish crowd when he made his Ryder Cup debut in 2014.
But he came under scrutiny in the Bahamas in 2019 at the Hero World Challenge for being penalized two shots for twice swiping sand behind his golf ball in a waste area, improving his lie.
Reed said he would continue to compete on the European tour as an honorary member, afforded to him from his Masters victory. The European tour is in Qatar next week. It then goes to South Africa for three weeks, China and India heading into the Masters.
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