USA Ryder Cup winning hero Patrick Reed has been stripped of European Tour membership and England’s Graeme Storm could not be happier.
The current World No. 8 ranked Reed has failed to contest the mandatory five ‘regular’ European Tour events from a minimum of 13 tournaments all Tour members must undertake to retain full membership.
And with just two tournaments remaining on the 2016 schedule, and with Reed not entered in this week’s Nedbank Challenge in South Africa, the Tour has removed Reed’s name from the Race to Dubai money list.
The Texas-born Reed contested 10 European Tour counting events this year but with just three of those classed as ‘regular’ – the Scottish Open, the Rio Olympic Games and the recent Ryder Cup – and thus being two short.
American Patrick Reed no longer a member of the European Tour and England’s Graeme Storm could not be happier.
The American had been due to contest today’s (SUN) concluding Turkish Airlines Open but joined other Ryder Cup stars including World No. 2 Rory McIlroy along with Open Champion Henrik Stenson, the Spanish duo of Sergio Garcia and Rafa Cabrera-Bello plus the England pair of Chris Wood and Matthew Fitzpatrick in electing not the travel to troubled Turkey.
Reed’s removal from the European money list will clearly delight England-born Storm who has missed out on holding onto his European Tour card by just Euro 100 in finishing 112th on the Race to Dubai, and one place outside of retaining full membership for a 12th straight season.
Storm, winner of the 2007 French Open, went into the recent Portugal Masters, and his final event of the season, inside the cut-off mark of 111th but with a 72nd hole bogey costing him a share of 17th place and a cheque for Euro 24,960 compared to Euro 20,800 he earned a shot back in being tied 22nd at Vilamoura.
At the time, it prompted good friend Justin Rose at the time to tweet: “Gutted for my mate @stormygraeme but he’ll be back on the @EuropeanTour very soon.”
But Reed’s removal from the Race to Dubai has meant Storm secures 111th and the final automatic qualifying place for the 2017 European Tour season.
