Patrick Reed flying high after sensational desert swing
Dubai Desert Classic winner adds Qatar crown after finishing tied second in Bahrain
Dubai: It would have been an incredible hat-trick for Patrick Reed had he not lost in a playoff in Bahrain last week to finish tied second. Yet, the 35-year-old American still capped off a remarkable month in the Middle East by winning the Qatar Masters on Sunday, his second European tour victory in three weeks after his win in Dubai that all but assures the former Masters champion of a full PGA Tour card in 2027.
On Sunday in Qatar, Reed closed with a 2-under 70, turning back an early threat from Jacob Skov Olesen and a late charge by Calum Hill for a two-shot victory at Doha Golf Club. Reed finished at 16-under 272.
No one has posted a lower 72-hole score in three straight European tour events. He will move into the top 20 in the world ranking for the first time since 2021.
“This little run I’ve had, two wins and a second, it’s awesome. We couldn’t ask anything more than what we did,” Reed said. “It’s special, especially to get two wins early on in the season, and hopefully there’s a lot more to come.”
Reed came to Dubai to begin preparing for his fifth season on Saudi-backed LIV Golf. But he won the Dubai Desert Classic against a strong field and revealed he had not renewed his LIV deal.
Over the next few days, Reed chose to leave LIV Golf with an eye toward returning to the PGA Tour. Reed said he would play a full European tour schedule to try to earn a full PGA Tour card by being among the top 10 in the Race to Dubai who were not already exempt.
The next two weeks in Bahrain and Qatar took care of that. Reed now leads the Race to Dubai with 2,259 points, already more points than the player last season who earned the final PGA Tour card. He still has the four majors and four Rolex Series events ahead of him, and now Reed has his eye on more than just a full card in America next year.
“It’s always been a dream of mine to be an American who wins the Race to Dubai, and we’re off to a fast start,” Reed said.
For the record, Collin Morikawa in 2021 is the only American to finish at No 1 on the European Tour.
