Reed and Garcia off to fast start in bid for Open Championship return

Patrick Reed made an impressive start at the International Series Macau, delivering a flawless seven-under-par 63 in the opening round as he sets his sights on one of the three coveted spots at The Open Championship.

The American navigated the Macau Golf and Country Club without a single blemish on his card, finishing one shot clear of a group of challengers, including fellow LIV Golf star Peter Uihlein.

The top three players at the end of the tournament will earn places at The Open later this year at Royal Portrush.

For Reed, the stakes are personal. He last competed in The Open in 2023, missing out last year for the first time since 2013 after losing his exemption from his 2018 Masters victory.

“I feel like any time you have an opportunity to qualify for a major, it just gives you extra motivation to go out and have a little bit more drive to make those putts and play your best game,” Reed said before the tournament began. “Because at the end of the day, they’re the four events that we're trying to always play.

“Last year was the first time I didn’t play a major since my first one – which was 42 straight – and, you know, to only be able to play two of the majors last year, it will mean a lot to get back on that run. Hopefully, we can have some more fireworks this week to get there.”

Another LIV Golf standout, Sergio Garcia, also started strong, carding an opening-round 65 to sit in fifth place. The 45-year-old is aiming to return to The Open for the first time in three years.

Garcia narrowly missed out on qualification in 2024 at West Lancs and fell short again in 2023, ending a streak of Open appearances dating back to 1997.

“It’s my favourite major, so I would love to be back in it, with not playing the last couple of years," he said. "So, I’m going to give it my best shot this week.”