New Delhi: Patrick Reed may not win many popularity contests but there's something about him. The 2018 Augusta Masters champion saw that success accompanied by critical reports about strife in his family and his attitude. His PGA Tour exit in 2022 to join the newly launched LIV Golf didn’t endear him to many either.
However, Reed, now 36, is on the road back to the PGA Tour. He didn’t renew his LIV contract after 2025 and has been a big success on the DP World Tour this season.
The Road to Dubai Rankings is a big focus for some top players, as the $4 million DP World India Championship will be followed by two more events before the Tour Championship concludes in Dubai.
Deep Dive
How can Patrick Reed earn a PGA Tour card through the Race to Dubai?
Why is the Delhi Golf Club course challenging for Patrick Reed?
Why does Patrick Reed feel welcomed on the DP World Tour after playing LIV Golf?
Two wins and two second-place finishes have helped top the Race to Dubai Rankings with four events left. Ideally, he would have preferred to avoid the banana peel that the DGC course can prove to be. The American knows he can take nothing for granted.
“First off, I have never come across a golf course like this before. I came here, and looking at the yardage and stuff, was like, man, guys are going to shoot nothing. There is going to be so many birdies. It's really short. It's going to be a bunch of wedges.
“(But) with how narrow the fairways are and how thick the rough is, I mean basically it's reload because it's in the jungle. Because of that, it's a lot of irons off tees or 3-woods. You're having to play back, so the golf course is playing longer than what it says on paper. I mean, I forced myself today to hit two drivers. Everything else was less than driver.”
{{/usCountry}}“(But) with how narrow the fairways are and how thick the rough is, I mean basically it's reload because it's in the jungle. Because of that, it's a lot of irons off tees or 3-woods. You're having to play back, so the golf course is playing longer than what it says on paper. I mean, I forced myself today to hit two drivers. Everything else was less than driver.”
{{/usCountry}}The competition is fierce in the Race to Dubai because Spaniard Eugenio Chacarra, whose breakthrough DP World Tour win came in the 2025 Hero Indian Open, is No. 2 in the race. Six-time Major champion Rory McIlroy is No. 3, determined to win his eighth rankings title, and fifth in a row.
“For me the biggest thing is to go out there and play each day, focus on each shot, and try to execute the best I can. If I execute them properly 70% of the time, then usually that would equate to having a chance to win on Sundays,” Reed said.
“These last three events I'm playing, if I put myself to have an opportunity to win golf tournaments late on Sunday, then hopefully it's enough to take care of itself.
“You know, there are still too many events left to sit there and worry about what Rory and Eugenio are doing. With how elevated the points are in Abu Dhabi and how elevated they are in Dubai, it's still anyone's game.”
This week and Korea next week offer 5,000 points each, while Abu Dhabi Championship has 9,000 and the Dubai season-ender 12,000.
So, as a former LIV Golf player does he felt loved playing in Europe? DP World Tour has announced no LIV player will be allowed next season. However, one of the reasons Reed gave for not renewing his LIV contract was that he was a traditionalist and wasn’t happy with the atmosphere the rebel tour provided.
“Of course, I feel welcomed out here… Whether I played on the PGA or LIV, I always wanted to continue playing and supporting this tour,” he said. “This year having status over here and fully playing on this tour only has been something I've really enjoyed, and I feel like the guys have enjoyed having me come over and playing.
“I can see how some of the guys would sit there and have an issue with guys coming over and just playing the big events. I've come over and played everything from big events, small events, events in the middle. I've always cherished being a worldwide player.” The top 10 in the R2DR will get PGA Tour cards.
US PGA Championship winner Aaron Rai (England) sits at No. 5 and New Zealand’s Ryan Fox, the Open champion, is sixth. It promises to be some race to finish.