American Ryder Cup player Patrick Reed has been given the green light to take part in next season’s European Tour, despite failing to play the required number of events under current regulations in this season’s Race to Dubai.
Reed, currently ranked in the eighth in the world, only played in three ‘regular’ tour events this season outside of the majors and the WGC events, falling two short of the minimum of five. He finished 10th at the Scottish Open and 11th at the Olympics, before helping the USA to Ryder Cup victory at Hazeltine.
The 26-year-old Texan was due to take part in the Turkish Airlines Open last month, but withdrew following concerns over security at the venue following recent terrorist activity in Turkey, while he also spurned the chance to take part in the Nedbank Golf Challenge in South Africa. Regardless, he was given his card by virtue of his victory in the 2014 WGC-Cadillac Championship, which comes with a three-year exemption on the European Tour.
Reed’s failure to play in either Turkey or South Africa saw him stripped of his Race to Dubai points, which resulted in Graeme Storm, who finished 116th on money list, regaining his playing rights for next season, but the European Tour still managed to find a way for Reed to continue his membership by dint of his WGC success in 2014.
“We are delighted to announce that Patrick Reed will return to action on the European Tour for the 2017 season,” said European Tour Chief Executive Keith Pelley. “He is one of the game’s most exciting talents, as everyone who witnessed his electrifying performance at this year’s Ryder Cup will testify to, and our fans look forward to seeing him in action again next year.”
Reed said: “I love to compete and I take pride in the fact that I have both my PGA Tour card and my European Tour card. I am grateful that I will continue to be a part of the European Tour and I value the opportunity to play with the best players in the world, all over the world.”