With Brooks Koepka making the switch from LIV to PGA, there have been a lot of questions about other players’ LIV Golf status. Patrick Reed was a name that often came up due to contract renegotiations. Then, on January 28th, Reed announced on his public Twitter account that he is making the switch and could be playing again as soon as this August.
Why Patrick Reed Is Switching
Reed has always held the PGA Tour up high. In his announcement for his return, he even said that he was “born to play on the PGA Tour.” He would even go on to say that it is the best in the world. Before making the decision, Reed’s contract was still not finalized. This was his second contract, as the first one was due to expire at the end of the year. His decision finally came after the Dubai Desert Classic. After his victory, he says that he realized how much he missed the grind, something he’s just not getting on LIV.
Reed’s Announcement And Player Response
The announcement of Patrick Reed’s departure came on Wednesday morning. In this announcement, he made it clear that he won’t be able to play a full season until next year. Reed is still subject to the suspension. With his last LIV Golf event being last August, he will be able to play off the regular season. In his announcement, Reed expressed his gratitude for the time he spent with LIV Golf. He was careful to emphasize that this was an amicable split. No hard feelings are being shared. Reed also made sure to shout out Dustin Johnson and The Aces, his former captain and team. Reed is excited to play for the PGA again. However, until the suspension runs out, he will be playing on the DP World Tour.
Patrick Reed won’t be coming back through the returning members program. The program applies to major winners since 2022, and his victory was in 2018. Still an important addition for the PGA, but just outside of the official reinstatement program. Players like Rory McIlroy have taken note of the recent switches. He said that LIV players are “maybe starting to realize that they’re not getting everything that they wanted out of going over there.” If McIlroy is right, then it most likely plays back into the restrictions that LIV Golf has hanging over itself, such as the lack of OWGR points. Nonetheless, McIlroy believes that the switches will only be good for the Tour, no matter how many happen.
A Pathway Back Into The PGA
2025 was full of talk about players making their grand return to the PGA, and now in 2026, those returns are being seen. It will, of course, be good for the PGA Tour as familiar faces begin making their comebacks, but it can also be seen as good for the players in question. Before, they had to do more work to keep their OWGR standing and remain eligible for any major they hadn’t won. Admittedly, both Reed and Koepka are the types of players who are happy to put in the extra work, but they also are happier playing for leagues like the PGA. Now that two players are making their returns, fans can start asking: who’s next?
Main Photo Credit: © Marc Lebryk-Imagn Images
