Patrick Reed is facing the prospect of missing his first Major for a decade with the PGA Championship at Valhalla.
The American’s run began at the 2014 Masters and currently stretches to 39 successive events. He’ll make that 40 in April at the Augusta National Major thanks to his 2018 Masters win, which handed him a lifetime exemption to the tournament. However, the LIV Golf player’s world ranking means he could be relying on an invite to play at the second Major of the year in May.
Reed’s Masters triumph guaranteed him a place at all four Majors for five years, but he isn’t currently in any of the remaining three Majors this year.
Typically, the top 100 in the world rankings are handed an invitation to the PGA Championship, but despite regularly playing on the Asian Tour between his LIV Golf commitments, which can’t offer its players world ranking points, the 33-year-old has not been able to prevent falling to 109th.
When he signed for LIV Golf in June 2022, Reed was ranked 36th, but in September that year he dropped out of the world’s top 50 for the first time since 2014 and the trend has largely continued since.
Reed received a welcome boost in the world rankings after last year’s Masters, when his finish of fourth saw him jump back to World No.45, but despite competing in six more world ranking events since, including the three remaining Majors in 2023, he has not been able to prevent slipping out of the all-important top 100.
Reed is in the field for this week's International Series Macau, and a win at the Asian Tour event could get him into the field. Failing that, he has an excellent overall track record at The Masters, which has seen him record three top-10 finishes as well as his victory, so another strong performance next month could also yet be enough to earn him a place at Valhalla.
There is also a chance he may yet receive an invite. One LIV Golf player who has already guaranteed his place via that route is Joaquin Niemann. Per AP's Doug Ferguson, the Chief Championship Officer for the PGA of America Kerry Haigh also confirmed more will be sent out after The Players Championship, which takes place at TPC Sawgrass this week.
Haigh also explained how the invites are determined, pointing out that the world’s top 100 is just one of the criteria considered. He said: “We certainly do use that list, as well as other lists from various tours around the world. It's nothing new or different than what we've done in the past and hopefully we'll plan to do so again."
Beyond the PGA Championship, Reed also faces an uncertain future in the US Open and The Open, with his world ranking again a factor. To qualify with his world ranking, he'd need to be 60th or higher for the US Open, with a top 50 berth for The Open.
All would not be lost, though, as Reed would still have the option of going through qualifying for the chance to play in the final two Majors of the year if necessary.
