LA JOLLA, CALIFORNIA | Against the backdrop of Brooks Koepka’s high-profile return to the PGA Tour this week at the Farmers Insurance Open at Torrey Pines, Patrick Reed announced Wednesday that he will also return to the tour later this year, ending his time with LIV Golf.
It’s a second major blow to LIV Golf in the past month and reaffirms the tour’s intention under new CEO Brian Rolapp to bring the game’s best players together more often.
Reed is not included in the returning members program, which allowed Koepka to return immediately, but he is eligible to play as a non-member in tour-sanctioned events beginning August 25, one year since his last LIV appearance. Reed is eligible to reinstate his PGA Tour membership in 2027 and compete in the previous champion category, provided he does not play in unauthorized events.
Reed, who has a lifetime membership on the DP World Tour, can secure full PGA Tour status in 2027 if he finishes in the top 10 in the European circuit’s Race to Dubai rankings, where he currently sits second, or if he wins an autumn event on the PGA Tour.
“I’m a traditionalist through and through and I was born to play the PGA Tour…” – Patrick Reed
He hinted at his intentions after winning the DP World Tour’s Hero Dubai Desert Classic on Sunday. He said he had not signed a new contract with LIV and did not comment on whether he would play in the season opener in Saudi Arabia next week.
Reed, who earned his only LIV win in Dallas last year, made it official on social media on Wednesday.
“I am a traditionalist through and through and I was born to play on the PGA Tour, where my story began with my wife Justine,” wrote Reed, the 29th-ranked player in the world.
“I am very fortunate for the opportunities that have come my way and am grateful for the life I have created. I am moving forward in my career and I look forward to competing on the PGA Tour and DP World Tour. I can’t wait to get back out there and revisit some of the best places on earth.”
“I would like to thank everyone involved for helping me make this decision. Over the past four years I have learned a lot about myself, who I am and who I am not, and for that I am forever grateful.”
Like Koepka, Reed is ineligible for the PGA Tour’s player equity program through 2030, but unlike Koepka, he is not required to make a charitable donation as part of his recovery. Reed will also be eligible to play in the 2026 Presidents Cup if elected. He was not among the 11 players who sued the PGA Tour in 2022 after leaving for LIV Golf.
In a statement, the PGA Tour clarified Reed’s status.
“As a result of resigning from membership in 2022 prior to violating PGA Tour rules, Patrick will be eligible to compete on the PGA Tour as a non-member beginning August 25, 2026. He may also pursue enhanced PGA Tour status through the DP World Tour.
“Like anyone reinstated under the Returning Member Program, any former PGA Tour member returning to the PGA Tour through 2030 will not be eligible to participate in the Player Equity Program,” the statement said.
Besides Reed, the question is what Bryson DeChambeau will do after his LIV contract expires at the end of this year. He has indicated he will consider his options, including a return to the PGA Tour.
The statement also updated the status of three former LIV players – Kevin Na, Pat Perez and Hudson Swafford – who have all been reinstated as tour members. Perez and Swafford will be eligible again on January 1, 2027, after serving disciplinary sentences for violating tour rules. No date was released during the tour for Na to be reinstated due to an undisclosed disciplinary matter.
Although Reed, the 2018 Masters champion, has been a controversial figure throughout his career, his return reinforces the tour’s intention to attract as many top players as possible while further damaging LIV Golf’s lineup.
Besides Reed, the question is what Bryson DeChambeau will do after his LIV contract expires at the end of this year. He has indicated he will consider his options, including a return to the PGA Tour. DeChambeau was one of the players who sued the tour nearly four years ago.
DeChambeau, Jon Rahm and Cam Smith are eligible to rejoin the tour under the Returning Member Program until February 2. In a statement Wednesday, the tour said it did not expect any other players to join Koepka in accepting the offer this year.
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