Patrick Reed's decision to abandon ship on Saudi-backed rebel tour LIV Golf marks another high-profile defection from the breakaway league, leaving the circuit reeling once again. The 35-year-old American golfer, who won the Masters in 2018, has opted out of competing for the remainder of the season and will instead focus on the PGA Tour, where he will be a part-time member starting from 2027.
Reed's sudden change of heart came as a surprise, with the former Masters champion revealing at his post-tournament press conference that he had not yet signed up for LIV Golf for this year. Despite joining the Saudi-backed tour in 2022 on a lucrative deal worth tens of millions, Reed stated that he is "a traditionalist at heart" and was "born to play on the PGA Tour."
Reed's decision marks another significant blow to LIV Golf, which has already lost several high-profile players since its inception. Brooks Koepka had previously defected from the tour, prompting speculation about the future of other top players. The exits of Reed and Koepka have left a trio of Jon Rahm, Bryson DeChambeau, and Cameron Smith as the most prominent figures on the LIV Golf circuit.
Reed's return to the PGA Tour is seen as a major coup for the traditional tour, which has been seeking to poach players from LIV Golf. The PGA Tour has announced that Reed will be eligible to compete in events starting from August 25th, 2026, and will also have the opportunity to improve his status via the DP World Tour. As the season progresses, it remains to be seen whether other top players will follow in Reed's footsteps or seek to beat a path back towards the PGA Tour.
Reed's sudden change of heart came as a surprise, with the former Masters champion revealing at his post-tournament press conference that he had not yet signed up for LIV Golf for this year. Despite joining the Saudi-backed tour in 2022 on a lucrative deal worth tens of millions, Reed stated that he is "a traditionalist at heart" and was "born to play on the PGA Tour."
Reed's decision marks another significant blow to LIV Golf, which has already lost several high-profile players since its inception. Brooks Koepka had previously defected from the tour, prompting speculation about the future of other top players. The exits of Reed and Koepka have left a trio of Jon Rahm, Bryson DeChambeau, and Cameron Smith as the most prominent figures on the LIV Golf circuit.
Reed's return to the PGA Tour is seen as a major coup for the traditional tour, which has been seeking to poach players from LIV Golf. The PGA Tour has announced that Reed will be eligible to compete in events starting from August 25th, 2026, and will also have the opportunity to improve his status via the DP World Tour. As the season progresses, it remains to be seen whether other top players will follow in Reed's footsteps or seek to beat a path back towards the PGA Tour.
can u imagine him crushin it on the tour starting from 2027? this is such a major coup for the pga tour!! lets see if other top players will follow suit or try to find their way back to liv golf 
I mean, what's going on with LIV Golf? One day it's all about attracting top talent, and the next they're losing another big name. Patrick Reed just bailed on them like that? Tens of millions for joining in 2022 and now he's walking away? 
It seems like a lot to turn down, especially after winning the Masters. And what's with these "traditionalist at heart" comments? Is it too much to ask for players to commit to a league? It's just another player leaving and I'm still waiting for some hard numbers on how much LIV Golf is paying its players... 
I think this is actually a win-win for Patrick Reed! He gets to stay on the PGA Tour where he feels most at home, and the tour gets another talented player 
. LIV Golf is losing more and more big names, but that's not surprising given how polarizing their whole thing is around Saudi Arabia... plus the golf itself isn't as great in some people's opinions 
. I'm curious to see what happens next, though - will they try to lure Reed back with a sweet deal? 
. Whatever happens next, I'm hyped to see what unfolds! 
Patrick Reed is finally being true to himself, he deserves all the kudos for taking this stand! I was getting so salty when I saw him join LIV Golf, but I knew he had a heart of gold and just wanted what's best for his game. Being on the PGA Tour will be awesome for him, and now it's like, the whole world is watching to see who else is gonna make the jump 
I'm not surprised Patrick Reed ditched LIV Golf already! 
I mean, have you seen their layout? It's like they threw all the traditional golfing elements out the window and just slapped some flashy logos on it. 
The fact that Reed wants to go back to the tour where he belongs is a major win for them, if you ask me. 
anyway can't wait to see patrick reed kill it on pga tour again 
The PGA Tour just got way stronger 
hopefully they can keep 'em there 
. I think it's awesome that Reed is making this move and getting back to what he loves about golf. It'll be interesting to see how it all plays out - will other top players follow suit or stick with LIV Golf? Only time will tell 
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Anyway, did you know that LIV Golf has lost a whopping 27% of its top players since it started in 2022? 
That's some major shake-up going on! 
Here's a fun fact: Patrick Reed's decision to join LIV Golf was worth around $25 million 
. Anyway, this is a big win for the PGA Tour, with 35% more players joining since 2022 
. Can't wait to see how the rest of the season plays out! 
and leaving for greener pastures... or in this case, the PGA Tour 
. Will other top players follow suit? Only time will tell 
... but for now, let's give a round of applause to the PGA Tour for snagging Reed as a part-time member 
. I mean, it's no secret that LIV Golf has been struggling to find its footing, and Reed just got caught up in the drama 
. His return to the PGA Tour is a major win for them, though - they really needed someone of his caliber to bring some credibility back to the table 
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. This move is definitely a big win for the PGA Tour, though - they've been trying to poach players from LIV Golf for ages and this one's a biggie 
. Reed's return is definitely going to shake things up on the PGA Tour, so it'll be interesting to see how that plays out 
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