Patrick Reed
Patrick Reed (born August 5, 1990) is an American professional golfer distinguished by his 2018 Masters Tournament victory, marking his sole major championship win to date.[1][2] Turning professional in 2011 following back-to-back NCAA Division I championships with Augusta State University in 2010 and 2011, Reed amassed nine PGA Tour titles, including the 2014 WGC-Cadillac Championship where he became the youngest winner of a World Golf Championships event at age 23.[1][3] Reed's career is defined by clutch performances in international team competitions, particularly the Ryder Cup, where he competed in 2014, 2016, and 2018, posting an individual record of 7 wins, 3 losses, and 2 halves across 12 matches.[4] In 2022, he joined LIV Golf as a member of 4Aces GC, contributing to multiple team successes and securing his first individual LIV victory in a playoff at the 2025 LIV Golf Dallas event.[5][6] Throughout his professional tenure, Reed has encountered persistent scrutiny over alleged rules infractions, including college-era accusations from teammates of cheating and stealing, as well as on-course penalties such as a two-stroke assessment at the 2019 Hero World Challenge for improving his lie in a bunker.[7][8] He has denied these claims, attributing some dismissals to unrelated disciplinary issues like alcohol violations, and maintains that such incidents do not reflect his character or approach to the game.[9][10]Early Life and Background
Family and Upbringing
Patrick Reed was born on August 5, 1990, in San Antonio, Texas, to parents Bill Reed and Jeannette Reed.[3] He grew up alongside his younger sister, Hannah, in a household where both parents maintained involvement in his early development.[11] The Reeds provided a structured environment during his childhood in Texas, emphasizing family support amid routine relocations.[12] In his mid-teens, the family relocated from Texas to Baton Rouge, Louisiana, exposing Reed to a change in regional and social dynamics.[13][14] This transition demanded adjustment to a new community, fostering resilience through navigating unfamiliar settings without documented financial hardship or exceptional adversity beyond the move itself.[12] The relocation aligned with his entry into local schooling, where family stability remained evident in their collective decision-making.[15]Introduction to Golf and Early Influences
Patrick Reed was exposed to golf from infancy, as his father, Bill Reed, placed a set of plastic clubs in his crib shortly after his birth on August 5, 1990, in San Antonio, Texas.[16] Raised in the Houston suburbs, Reed's initial engagement with the sport occurred through family encouragement and local access to courses, without enrollment in formal academies. By age 9, he began structured lessons with Peter Murphy, an instructor working under Hank Haney, during trips to Haney's ranch in McKinney, Texas, approximately 250 miles north of Houston.[14] These sessions marked his entry into coached development of golf mechanics, emphasizing repetitive drills over casual play.[16] Reed's foundational skills emerged from intensive, all-day practice routines at the ranch, where he would hit balls for hours, followed by on-course play and additional range work, often starting early in the morning.[16] This regimen, guided by Murphy and influenced by Haney's methods, prioritized technical repetition to build proficiency in foundational areas such as ball-striking and course management, rather than specialized short-game clinics at that stage. Reed later reflected that the sport felt straightforward in his earliest years but grew demanding upon advancing to older age-group challenges around age 10, highlighting a progression driven by persistent exposure rather than innate ease.[5] No verified records exist of formal junior handicaps or local tournament results from this pre-competitive period, underscoring a focus on skill-building through unstructured volume over scored outcomes.[5] Early mentors like Murphy instilled a work ethic centered on causal fundamentals—relying on mechanical consistency and feel developed through trial and extended play—which laid groundwork for Reed's later renowned touch around greens, though putting and chipping specifics were not isolated in childhood accounts.[14] This phase, distinct from subsequent organized junior events, reflected a pragmatic, family-supported entry into golf mechanics amid frequent relocations in Texas, with practice serving as a stabilizing constant.[5]Amateur Career
High School and Junior Successes
Patrick Reed attended University High School in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, where he captained the golf team to Louisiana High School Athletic Association state championships in both 2006 and 2007.[11] In 2007, he secured individual state medalist honors with a two-round score of 139, earning recognition as the Louisiana High School Player of the Year.[17] These achievements highlighted his early dominance in regional competition, including prior experience as an All-American junior golfer in San Antonio, Texas.[14] On the junior circuit, Reed competed in the American Junior Golf Association (AJGA) events from 2004 to 2007, recording one victory at the 2005 True Temper/David Gossett Junior Championship in Midland, Texas, where he finished at 4-under-par 212 to edge out the field by three strokes.[18] He amassed six additional top-10 finishes in AJGA tournaments during this period, contributing to his selection as a Rolex Junior All-American in 2005, 2006, and 2007.[19] Internationally, Reed won the 2006 Junior British Open at the Gullane Golf Club in Scotland, posting rounds of 71-69-74 for a 2-under total, and qualified for the 2007 U.S. Amateur Championship.[20] These results demonstrated his aggressive style, characterized by low scoring in competitive fields, though specific junior-era scoring averages beyond event totals remain undocumented in primary records.[21]Collegiate Achievements at Georgia and Augusta State
Reed began his collegiate golf career at the University of Georgia in the fall of 2008, competing as a freshman during the 2008-2009 season.[14] His tenure there was brief, ending with a transfer to Augusta State University after incidents including two alcohol-related arrests and reported team rule violations, which led to his departure from the program.[22] [23] At Augusta State, starting in the 2009-2010 season, Reed emerged as a core contributor to the Jaguars' men's golf team, helping secure back-to-back NCAA Division I national championships in 2010 and 2011.[24] [25] In the 2010 NCAA Championship at Honors Course in Ooltewah, Tennessee, Augusta State defeated Oklahoma State 3-2 in the finals match play, with Reed posting competitive scores including a 1-under 71 in stroke play to help qualify the team.[26] The following year, at the 2011 NCAA Championship in Tucson, Arizona, the Jaguars repeated as champions, again topping Oklahoma State 3-2; Reed went undefeated in match play during the tournament, carding a 6-0 record across team and individual matches.[26] These victories marked Augusta State's first national titles in men's golf, elevating the program's profile from a mid-major to elite status through disciplined team preparation and Reed's aggressive scoring.[23] Individually, Reed earned Ping All-America honors as a second-team selection in 2010 and first-team in 2011, recognizing his consistent performance across 10 tournaments in his junior year.[27] [24] During the 2010-11 season, he recorded 18 rounds at par or better—second on the team—and led in final-round scoring average at 69.5 strokes, while securing his first collegiate individual victory at the Brickyard Collegiate Championship with a tie for 21st overall.[27] His stroke average improved progressively, reflecting adaptation to collegiate competition's demands, which honed skills like short-game precision transferable to professional play.[3] Reed turned professional immediately after the 2011 championship, forgoing his senior year.[26]International Amateur Competitions
Reed demonstrated early adaptability against international amateur competition through his victory at the 2010 Jones Cup Invitational, a prestigious U.S.-based event featuring top global talents.[28] Competing at Sea Island Golf Club's Seaside Course in Georgia from February 5-7, 2010, Reed posted rounds of 72-76-74 to tie France's Victor Dubuisson at 222 (-6), then prevailed in a sudden-death playoff by getting up-and-down for par on the first extra hole after Dubuisson bogeyed.[29] This marked his first major amateur title and highlighted his mental resilience, as he overcame a final-round bogey on the 72nd hole to force the playoff despite hitting only six of 14 fairways and struggling with accuracy off the tee.[29] The win against a field including strong international contenders like Dubuisson—later a professional standout—underscored Reed's strategic growth in match-play scenarios and pressure situations akin to global team formats, though he did not participate in official U.S. team events such as the Palmer Cup or Walker Cup during his amateur years.[28] His performance, converting limited international exposure into a decisive victory, foreshadowed the toughness evident in later high-stakes competitions, with empirical data from the event showing his ability to execute short-game recoveries under scrutiny.[29]Professional Career
Transition to Professional Golf
Reed turned professional in 2011 at age 21, immediately after concluding his collegiate career at Augusta State University.[30] He secured entry to his debut PGA Tour event through a sponsor exemption into the June 2011 FedEx St. Jude Classic. Throughout 2012, Reed gained access to 11 PGA Tour tournaments mainly via Monday qualifiers—succeeding in 6 of 8 attempts—and occasional sponsor exemptions, reflecting a self-reliant grind without established backing or guaranteed status.[30] [31] [32] He made the cut in seven of those starts, posting early professional earnings of $302,977 and demonstrating quick adaptation to elite competition.[33] [34] In December 2012, Reed advanced through the PGA Tour Qualifying Tournament stages, earning a full tour card for the 2013 season by securing one of the top-five spots and ties at the final stage in La Quinta, California.[31] This qualification path underscored his merit-based progression amid limited prior professional exposure.[30]PGA Tour Rise and Key Victories
Reed secured his inaugural PGA Tour victory at the 2013 Wyndham Championship, held August 15–18 at Sedgefield Country Club in Greensboro, North Carolina, defeating Jordan Spieth in a sudden-death playoff after both finished regulation at 14-under-par 266. Reed posted a final-round 66, featuring birdies on the playoff holes despite errant drives, to claim the $954,000 winner's check and 500 FedEx Cup points as a rookie.[35][36][37] In 2014, Reed achieved his second PGA Tour title at the World Golf Championships-Cadillac Championship, March 6–9 at Trump National Doral in Florida, holding off Jamie Donaldson and Bubba Watson by one stroke with a final-round even-par 72 for a total of 11-under 277. At age 23 years and 216 days, he became the youngest WGC winner, surpassing Tiger Woods' prior record, in a field headlined by Woods and Rory McIlroy amid firm, windy conditions that tested precision.[38][39][40] These breakthroughs, underpinned by a 56.1% driving accuracy in 2013 that enabled strong scrambling and short-game recovery, propelled Reed into the Official World Golf Ranking's top 25, finishing the year at No. 24 with 3.5132 average points. Reed attributed his rapid ascent to deliberate practice routines emphasizing discomfort to replicate competitive pressure, fostering resilience observed in his ability to close under duress.[41][42][43]Challenges and Peak Performances on PGA Tour
Reed's ascent on the PGA Tour featured notable peaks of consistency between 2014 and 2015, marked by victories at the World Golf Championships-Cadillac Championship in March 2014 and the Hyundai Tournament of Champions in January 2015, alongside multiple top-10 finishes that underscored his reliability in stroke play events.[1] These successes positioned him as a steady performer, with 25 top-10 results across those seasons contributing to competitive FedExCup standings, reflecting effective ball-striking and short-game precision under varying course conditions.[44] A subsequent challenge emerged in 2017, following the physical and mental toll of the 2016 Ryder Cup, where Reed acknowledged difficulties regaining swing speed and distance, compounded by equipment inconsistencies that hampered early-season results.[45][46] This led to a dip in form, with no victories and a slide in rankings, as suboptimal club fitting disrupted his iron play and approach accuracy, causal factors evident in elevated greens-in-regulation deficits compared to prior years.[1] Recovery materialized through targeted adjustments, including equipment tweaks and swing refinements to restore rotational efficiency, culminating in heightened performance by 2018—briefly cross-referenced in his Masters triumph—and extending to non-major highlights like the clutch birdie putts securing the 2019 Northern Trust victory, which propelled him from 50th to 2nd in FedExCup standings.[47][48] Despite peer critiques of his assertive demeanor potentially eroding team dynamics, Reed countered with pressure-tested executions, such as the 7-iron escape from pine straw in the 2013 Wyndham Championship playoff, affirming his capacity for decisive play amid scrutiny.[1]Shift to LIV Golf League
In June 2022, Patrick Reed signed a multi-year contract with LIV Golf, becoming one of the league's early high-profile recruits alongside Bryson DeChambeau.[49][50] The deal was reportedly worth tens of millions upfront, with Forbes estimating Reed's 2022 on-course earnings at $34 million primarily from LIV signing and event guarantees, a sharp departure from his prior PGA Tour volatility where annual payouts fluctuated based on cuts made and finishes.[51] This financial structure emphasized guaranteed compensation over performance contingencies, challenging the PGA Tour's merit-driven model that had long dominated professional golf by limiting player options through exclusive event approvals and media partnerships. The PGA Tour responded swiftly, suspending Reed indefinitely on June 10, 2022, for participating in unauthorized events, rendering him ineligible for Tour membership benefits, FedEx Cup points, and co-sanctioned competitions like the Ryder Cup.[52] Reed publicly criticized the Tour's restrictions during LIV's debut press conference, arguing they stifled player autonomy and innovation rather than fostering competition, while defending the switch as a pragmatic response to stagnant earnings potential amid rising costs and injury risks in a monopolistic system.[53] Proponents of the move, including Reed, highlighted how LIV's fixed payouts—often exceeding $4 million per event for top players regardless of no-cuts—addressed causal imbalances in golf's economics, where PGA success demanded consistent top finishes amid fields of 120+ competitors, whereas critics contended it eroded incentives for excellence by decoupling pay from results. Regarding Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR) implications, LIV events from inception did not qualify for points due to their 54-hole format, lack of 36-hole cuts, and perceived field strength limitations under OWGR criteria, leading to Reed's ranking decline from No. 25 pre-join to outside the top 50 by late 2022 despite strong LIV showings.[54] Reed contested this as unfair, noting it penalized players for choosing alternative circuits without empirical devaluation of their skill, though OWGR officials maintained the system's neutrality based on verifiable tournament metrics rather than tour affiliation.[54] This fallout underscored broader debates on loyalty to incumbents versus individual agency, with data showing over 20 major winners defecting by mid-2022 amid LIV's $200 million+ purses per season disrupting traditional risk-reward norms.LIV Golf Accomplishments and Team Dynamics
Patrick Reed secured his first individual victory on the LIV Golf circuit at the 2025 LIV Golf Dallas event, held June 27–29 at Maridoe Golf Club in Colleyville, Texas.[56] Finishing regulation play at 6-under par (67-68-75), Reed entered a sudden-death playoff with Jinichiro Kozuma, Louis Oosthuizen, and Paul Casey after all tied at that score.[57] He clinched the title with a birdie on the first extra hole, sinking a 15-foot putt, ending a 41-event winless streak dating back to his 2018 Masters triumph and marking his first professional win in his home state of Texas.[58] The victory earned him $4 million in individual prize money.[59] Reed's 2025 season showcased resurgent form, highlighted by a third-place finish at the Masters Tournament in April, which elevated his Official World Golf Ranking to No. 49 and secured ongoing eligibility for majors independent of LIV performance.[60] This strong showing, combined with the Dallas win, underscored his adaptability to LIV's 54-hole, no-cut format, where his consistent play contributed to improved world rankings despite the league's limited OWGR points allocation.[61] As a core member of 4Aces GC, captained by Dustin Johnson, Reed has been instrumental in the team's seven prior collective triumphs, emphasizing the format's emphasis on collaborative scoring over four players.[56] In 2025, however, 4Aces GC endured a challenging campaign, finishing outside the top teams in season standings, though Reed remained the squad's most reliable performer with multiple top-10 individual finishes bolstering team totals.[62] The team structure provided stability, allowing Reed to focus on steady contributions amid variable partner performances from Harold Varner III and others. Reed's statistical profile in LIV's 2025 fields ranked competitively, with a greens in regulation percentage of 69.31% (tied for 7th) and scrambling efficiency of 65.16% (4th), metrics that held up against select PGA Tour benchmarks in similar shot-making demands despite differing field strengths and course setups.[5] He led the league in strokes gained on short approach shots at +0.54 per round, reflecting precision around greens that translated to higher earning potential—exceeding $10 million across individual and team purses—compared to equivalent PGA Tour outputs.[63] These figures highlight how LIV's lucrative model supported sustained competitiveness without the volume of starts seen on traditional tours.[64]Major Championships
2018 Masters Tournament Victory
Patrick Reed captured his sole major championship title at the 2018 Masters Tournament, held at Augusta National Golf Club, by defeating Rickie Fowler by one stroke with a tournament total of 273 (15-under-par).[65] His round-by-round scores were 69 in the first round, 66 in the second (the lowest round of the tournament), 67 in the third, and 71 in the fourth on April 8, 2018.[66] Entering the final round with a three-shot lead over Rory McIlroy, Reed maintained control despite pressure from Fowler, who closed with a 67 to reach 14-under.[67] In the final round, Reed navigated a challenging back nine with key birdies, including one at the par-3 12th hole immediately following a bogey at the 11th, which helped stabilize his position at even par for the day.[68] He finished the round one-under-par overall, leveraging strong performance on the par-5 holes—where he went 8-under across the tournament—through precise approach play and putting.[66] ShotLink data highlighted Reed's short-game proficiency, as he overachieved relative to expectations with his putter and ranked highly in scrambling, converting up-and-downs efficiently to minimize bogeys amid the field's aggressive charges.[65] Reed's victory drew immediate backlash from some peers and observers, who referenced longstanding allegations of impropriety from his amateur days, including claims of cheating at the University of Georgia, though these predated the event and lacked direct ties to his 2018 play.[69] No rules infractions were identified during the tournament, with officials validating all scoring via video review and ShotLink metrics, resulting in no penalties or disqualifications; the empirical record thus confirms the win's legitimacy under PGA Tour and Masters protocols.[65]Performance Timeline in Majors
Patrick Reed debuted in major championships in 2014, qualifying via strong PGA Tour performances including his first win at the 2013 Wyndham Championship.[1] His early appearances featured a mix of made cuts and competitive finishes, such as top-20 results in three majors during 2015, reflecting solid ball-striking and short-game reliability amid his rising Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR), which peaked at No. 22 by late 2016.[70] Through 2017, he maintained consistency in making most cuts, highlighted by a runner-up finish at the 2017 PGA Championship, though occasional missed cuts indicated swings in putting accuracy and approach play.[71] The 2018 Masters victory marked his career high, elevating his OWGR to No. 17 and showcasing resilience under pressure with a final-round 71 to win by one stroke.[72] Post-2018 results displayed greater variability, with top-10 finishes like fourth at the U.S. Open and tenth at The Open contrasting missed cuts at the PGA Championship and uneven scoring in subsequent years, correlating to documented fluctuations in driving distance and greens-in-regulation percentages during form dips.[70] By 2023-2024, strong Masters showings (T4 in 2023, T12 in 2024) alternated with mid-pack or worse results elsewhere, underscoring selective course fit at Augusta National amid broader OWGR decline to outside the top 50.[70]| Year | Masters Tournament | PGA Championship | U.S. Open | The Open Championship |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | CUT | T58 | T35 | CUT |
| 2015 | T22 | T30 | T14 | T20 |
| 2016 | T49 | T13 | CUT | T12 |
| 2017 | CUT | T2 | T13 | CUT |
| 2018 | 1 | CUT | 4 | T28 |
| 2019 | T36 | CUT | T32 | 10 |
| 2020 | DNP | T13 | T13 | DNP |
| 2021 | T8 | T17 | T19 | CUT |
| 2022 | T35 | T34 | T49 | T47 |
| 2023 | T4 | T18 | T56 | T33 |
| 2024 | T12 | T53 | DNP | DNP |
Recent Major Results Including 2025
In April 2025, at the Masters Tournament held from April 10–13 at Augusta National Golf Club, Patrick Reed achieved a solo third-place finish at 9 under par (279), marking his strongest major result since his 2018 victory there.[73] His rounds were 71, 70, 69, and 69, including a final-round 3-under 69 that positioned him two strokes behind the playoff winner.[74] Reed's performance featured superior putting, where he gained strokes relative to the field average, contributing to his resurgence amid a schedule that prioritizes recovery periods between limited events.[75] Reed's participation in majors during the LIV Golf era relies on past champion status for the Masters, providing lifetime access despite limited Official World Golf Ranking points from LIV events. In contrast, qualification for other majors has been more challenging, often hinging on prior exemptions or special considerations. At the 2025 PGA Championship (May 15–18 at Quail Hollow Club), he missed the cut after rounds of 72 and 74 (146, +4).[73] He followed with a tied 23rd at the U.S. Open (June 12–15 at Oakmont Country Club), posting 73-74-71-70 for 288 (+8), highlighted by a rare albatross on the par-5 fourth hole in the first round.[76] Reed missed the cut again at The Open Championship (July 17–20 at Royal Portrush), with scores of 77 and 70 (147, +5).[77] These 2025 results reflect a pattern of selective peaking, with the Masters finish demonstrating improved consistency in approach play and short game compared to field averages, potentially aided by LIV Golf's structure of 14 events annually versus the PGA Tour's denser calendar, allowing extended preparation for high-stakes competitions.[70] Earlier in the LIV era, Reed posted top-20 finishes in majors like tied 12th at the 2023 Masters and tied fourth at the 2023 PGA Championship, underscoring a data-driven uptick in major contention post-2022.[1]| Year | Masters | PGA Championship | U.S. Open | The Open Championship |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | T10 | T57 | CUT | T46 |
| 2021 | T8 | T12 | T58 | T68 |
| 2022 | MC | T50 | CUT | DNP |
| 2023 | T29 | 4th | T35 | CUT |
| 2024 | T12 | CUT | MC | T74 |
| 2025 | 3rd | MC | T23 | MC |
Additional Professional Achievements
World Golf Championships Wins
Patrick Reed captured his first World Golf Championship title at the 2014 WGC-Cadillac Championship, contested March 6–9 at Trump National Doral in Miami, Florida. He finished at 4-under-par 284 after rounds of 68-75-69-72, prevailing by one stroke over runners-up Jamie Donaldson and Bubba Watson, who ended at 285. Jimmy Walker placed fifth at 293. Reed's final-round even-par 72 relied on precise iron play, as he started Sunday with strong approach shots that built a lead after early birdies, enabling him to navigate windy conditions and hold off pursuers.[38][80] In 2015, Reed defended his elite status by winning the WGC-HSBC Champions on November 5–8 at Sheshan International Golf Club in Shanghai, China. Tied with James Hahn at 16-under-par 272 after regulation, Reed secured the victory in a sudden-death playoff by birdieing the par-5 18th hole, while Hahn made par. His performance included critical pressure putts, such as a clutch birdie putt on the 72nd hole to force the playoff, demonstrating composure in high-stakes moments against a field featuring top global talent. These back-to-back WGC triumphs from 2014 to 2015 marked a brief but empirically elite phase for Reed, as consecutive victories in these no-cut invitationals—limited to the world's top players—are rare outside dominant performers like Tiger Woods, who amassed 18 WGC wins but whose streaks often spanned multiple events in peak seasons. Reed's feats positioned him temporarily among the sport's uppermost echelon before broader performance variability.[81]The Players Championship Results
Patrick Reed debuted in The Players Championship at TPC Sawgrass in 2014, missing the cut with rounds of 74 and 73. His strongest performance came in 2015, finishing tied for 24th at 5-under par 283 after scores of 72-70-69-72, earning $58,000 in prize money amid a field won by Rickie Fowler at 12-under.[82] In subsequent years, Reed maintained solid contention without breaking into the top 10. He tied for 22nd in 2017 at 1-under 287 and tied for 41st in 2018 at 6-under 282 (72-68-70-72), the latter shortly after his Masters win, reflecting sustained competitiveness on the par-72 layout despite no victory.[83] The 2020 edition ended after one round due to COVID-19, with Reed at +1 after a 73, placing him outside the top 65. He tied for 20th in 2021 at 4-under 284.| Year | Finish | Total Score (To Par) | Earnings |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | CUT | 147 (+3) | $0 |
| 2015 | T24 | 283 (-5) | $58,000 |
| 2016 | CUT | 147 (+3) | $0 |
| 2017 | T22 | 287 (-1) | $70,000 |
| 2018 | T41 | 282 (-6) | $40,700 |
| 2019 | CUT | 147 (+3) | $0 |
| 2020 | T70* | 73 (+1) | $0 |
| 2021 | T20 | 284 (-4) | $145,000 |
| 2022 | CUT | 149 (+5) | $0 |