Patrick Reed is leaving LIV Golf to pursue an eventual return to the PGA Tour, he announced Wednesday.
Reed, who won the DP World Tour’s Dubai Desert Classic on Sunday, will compete on the European-focused circuit for the remainder of this season while serving a suspension from the PGA Tour. He’ll be eligible to compete again on the PGA Tour starting on Aug. 25, 2026 — one year removed from his last LIV Golf event.
“I’m a traditionalist at heart, and I was born to play on the PGA Tour, which is where my story began with my wife, Justine,” Reed said in a statement posted on his social media accounts. “I am very fortunate for the opportunities that have come my way and grateful for the life we 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.”
The announcement of Reed’s pathway back to the tour comes as former LIV golfer Brooks Koepka makes his return this week at the Farmers Insurance Open in San Diego. It is also on the heels of Reed making it clear after his Dubai win that he had not signed a new contract with LIV for 2026. He was wearing 4Aces apparel at the time, and LIV celebrated his victory on its social media accounts and website.
“Over the last four years, I have learned a lot about myself, about who I am and who I am not, and for that I am forever grateful. To Dustin Johnson, the Aces, and LIV Golf, I want to thank you for the memories we shared and created together,” Reed wrote.
Koepka, a five-time major champion, became eligible for immediate reinstatement to the PGA Tour through a new program specifically targeting major winners from 2022 to 2025. Bryson DeChambeau, Jon Rahm and Cameron Smith also fit the criteria, but the PGA Tour has acknowledged it expects the three to let the Feb. 2 deadline pass.
Patrick Reed joined LIV in 2022, playing four seasons as a member of the 4Aces. (Angel Martinez / Getty Images)
Reed, the 2018 Masters champion, is ineligible for the Returning Members Program. However, the PGA Tour evaluated Reed’s timeline for return based on several factors. Reed resigned his PGA Tour membership upon joining LIV Golf in June 2022, meaning he did not incur penalties while competing in unauthorized events with the Saudi-backed league. Therefore, Reed can begin to compete on the PGA Tour again after the standard one-year suspension — but only as a non-member. That means he can tee it up in fall events only if a tournament invites him as a sponsor exemption or if he plays his way in via a one-time Monday qualifier. In 2027, Reed can apply for reinstatement as a full member of the Tour.
As part of his lifetime honorary membership on the DP World Tour, Reed can compete in the few events that are co-sanctioned with the PGA Tour this summer, such as the ISCO Championship in Kentucky and the Genesis Scottish Open. He’ll also be eligible for a captain’s pick for the 2026 Presidents Cup team. Currently ranked No. 29 in the world by the OWGR, Reed is expected to compete in all four major championships.
Reed will have past champion status on the PGA Tour in 2027, but his best chance at playing a full schedule will be by performing at the highest level in Europe to improve his status. He’s currently ranked No. 2 in the DP World Tour’s Race to Dubai, and the top 10 players on those standings earn their PGA Tour cards at the end of the season.
Like Koepka, Reed will forfeit an opportunity to collect equity in the tour until 2030. However, Reed will not be required to make the same $5 million donation to charity.
Reed, 35, has won nine times on the PGA Tour, including his one major championship. He was known and labeled as one of the tour’s strongest and most consistent villains. Rules controversies have followed him since his collegiate career began at Georgia (he later transferred to Augusta State), and onto the PGA Tour. In 2019, he was penalized for moving sand in a waste bunker at the Hero World Challenge.
Reed has repeatedly denied all allegations and has not been afraid to take legal action to clear his name — including a $750 million defamation lawsuit against Golf Channel and several members of the golf media. He accused the group of engaging in anticompetitive conduct and attempting to undermine the upstart LIV Golf league. As part of that lawsuit, Reed’s lawyer served Rory McIlroy a subpoena at his house on Christmas Eve. The lawsuits were later dismissed, and his lawyer, Larry Klayman, has since had his law license suspended for unrelated reasons.
Patrick Reed has consistently been in contention at the Masters, winning in 2018. (Patrick Smith / Getty Images)
Reed also became notorious for his occasional on-course outbursts, often directed toward vocal, heckling fans. He runs especially hot at the Ryder Cup. Reed played on four U.S. teams and holds one of the strongest match-play records in recent history, earning him the nickname “Captain America.”
Upon joining LIV in June 2022, Reed announced that he had resigned from the PGA Tour. He joined Dustin Johnson’s team, the 4Aces, and has one individual title since making his debut. Reed has consistently shone brightest at the Masters, with two top-five finishes in the last three years.
The PGA Tour also clarified the pathways for return for three former LIV Golf members: Kevin Na, Pat Perez and Hudson Swafford. Na is still facing disciplinary action, while Perez and Swafford can begin competition in January 2027.
“Each situation is consistently evaluated under our existing regulations and policies,” the PGA Tour wrote in the letter to its membership.
