Reed’s Polite Response To Fellow Masters Champions Outburst.

3 hours ago by 0

Masters champion Patrick Reed earned himself a double set of Masters crystal goblets after an impressive kick-start to his 13th appearance at Augusta National.

Reed is going home with more crystalware after superbly eagling both the par-5 second and eighth holes on the opening day of the 90th hosting of the Masters.

The effort helped the 2018 Augusta victory hero to an eventual three-under 69 in the bright but windy conditions.

Reed’s effort as well is the first time the Texas golfer has teed-up in a Masters without the LIV Golf logo on his attire, and with Reed quitting LIV earlier this year after winning twice as a Life Member on the DP World Tour, choosing instead to regoin both the PGA and DP World Tours.

He is eligible to return to the PGA Tour on August 25, 2026. For 2027, Reed’s nine tour victories earned him past champion status on the PGA Tour and for the fall of 2026 the possibility of sponsors’ invitations or Monday qualifiers.

It all seemed a stress-free move for Reed, well seemingly up until earlier today when fellow Masters winner Tom Watson was asked his reaction to both Brooks Keopka and Reed being allowed to rejoin the PGA Tour.

Watson’s response certainly revealed it had touched a nerve with the now 76-year-old.

“I thought the LIV players, when they left, they were supposed to be banned for life,“ said Watson.

“If I was commissioner, that’s what I would do. I’d say if you’re finished with your contract with LIV Golf, if you want to play the PGA Tour you come back, and you must play the Korn Ferry Tour for a year to qualify for it.

“They saw it differently. When the players left, they violated the number one rule that we really had out here, which is to protect the sponsors. Sponsors need players. They need the names to be able to promote their tournaments. If the players play wherever they want to play without a conflicting event rule, where you had to seek the permission of the PGA Tour to play in a tournament opposite of a PGA Tour tournament, the sponsors would be hurt by that. I think we all understood that.

“When the players left for LIV, I think it was basically over. They chose to go for the money,which is fine, but to return to the Tour, I thought, was a nonstarter, but apparently it’s not.“

Reed had tackled seven questions post his day one round, speaking of how pleased he was and how he ‘felt like I played a lot better kind of than the score today’.

The eighth question to Reed came well out of left field when he was made aware of Watson’s remarks.

Reed said:  “I’m just going by the rules. I’m doing my time from what they said on Player Handbook, and I’m excited to come back playing on the PGA Tour. I can’t wait really to get back and finish my career on the PGA Tour where I started.“

It prompted Reed to be asked how he feels he’s been treated by the current PGA Tour rank-and-file since news of his acceptance back to the Tour.

“The guys from day one have always kind of been the same with me, “ said Reed.

“Then we’re out there grinding, we’re grinding. At the same time, there are some of these guys I’ve never even seen before, I have never met. I’ve met them for the first time a couple of guys this week and in previous weeks. It’s nice to get to know the new guys.

“But, no, all the old guys and people that were from the PGA Tour from the past whenever I was out there, it’s all been friendly and fine, especially when we’re inside the ropes playing golf.“

Well said, Patrick and a respectful response.

 

 

 

 



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