Has Patrick Reed delivered a hammer blow to LIV Golf?

Former Masters champion Patrick Reed has confirmed that he has left LIV Golf and will return to the PGA Tour in time for the 2027 season. But what does this mean for the game and the ongoing power struggle? Golfshake's Derek Clements reports on the latest events, while Matt Holbrook shares his raw opinion on Reed's statement below.

And suddenly the worm has turned. We have become accustomed to LIV attempting to poach golf’s biggest names with the promise of untold wealth but its big names are now starting to jump ship.

First of all it was Brooks Koepka, who is teeing it up at the Farmers Insurance Open at Torrey Pines and now, shockingly, he has been followed by Patrick Reed, winner of the Dubai Desert Classic. In the immediate aftermath of that victory, Reed announced that he had not signed a new contract but gave no hint that he had no intention of doing so.

It was pretty obvious that nobody had told his former LIV paymasters that he was about to leave. They took great delight in announcing his win in Dubai on their website and social media feeds and he was listed to play in their season opener in Riyadh. But the controversial American has announced to the world that he is leaving.

In the long run, he will be looking for a way back to the PGA Tour but he does not fit the bill for the Returning Player Program set up to accommodate Koepka’s return since his Masters success was way back in 2018 - the programme only opens the door for those who have won majors or the Players Championship since 2022.

If he wants to return to the PGA Tour he will first have to serve a suspension. He has climbed to 29th in the world rankings so his place in all four majors is already secured. It seems pretty obvious that we will be seeing plenty of Reed on the DP World Tour in 2026 and it would be a foolish individual who would bet against him claiming one of the 10 PGA Tour cards on offer at the end of it all.

And, indeed, Reed has released a statement revealing his decision to quit LIV and play on the DP World Tour for the rest of the year, while stating he would be "returning to the PGA Tour as a past champion member" in 2027. The PGA Tour released a statement at the same time saying Reed was "seeking reinstatement for the 2027 season."

Reed said: "After careful thought and consideration, my family and I have decided that I will no longer compete on the LIV Golf Tour.

"I am excited to announce that I am returning to the PGA Tour as a past champion member for the 2027 season and am eligible to begin competing in PGA Tour events later this year.

"I will continue to compete and play as an Honorary Lifetime Member on the DP World Tour, which is something that I am truly honoured and excited to do.

"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."

According to well-informed sources at Associated Press, the PGA Tour sent a memo to players outlining the path back for players such as Reed. As things stand, he is eligible to return a year after his most recent LIV appearance, which came on August 24, 2025. The first 2026 PGA Tour tournament he could feature in would be the Biltmore Championship Asheville from September 17-20.

He will not face additional discipline from the PGA Tour because he resigned his membership when he left for LIV and was not part of the antitrust lawsuit filed against the PGA Tour.

Does Reed's Departure Signal a Slow Decline of LIV Golf?

But what do regular golf fans make of Reed's statement and future return to the PGA Tour? Golfshake's Matt Holbrook has shared his thoughts.

First Koepka, now Reed, does this spell the slow decline of LIV Golf?

Honestly, at this point, personally, I couldn’t care less.

One way or another, whether you’re camp LIV or camp non-LIV - the one thing that has always remained a constant is that we want to see the best golfers playing against each other more regularly. And as Derek has outlined above, Reed’s decision and the pathway being discussed is another twist in the ongoing saga.

Patrick Reed seems to always be the player we love to hate. A couple of rules infringements over the years have somewhat overshadowed an otherwise successful career. We can’t argue against his talents - especially his short game. He has always showed up on the DP World Tour, and that is admirable. I think he will be a welcome addition back to the PGA Tour when he finally returns later this year.

However, like Koepka, a similar statement was made. But a paragraph or two into his well worded statement, I found myself almost chucking my phone at the wall.

"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."

GIVE ME A BREAK.

This is the same PGA Tour he turned his back on for a big payday just a few years ago?

At this point, I have to state, I don’t have any issue with any of the golfers that left their respective tours to chase their dream of even more money. It was more the way many of them went about it.

"I’m doing this to grow the game" or "I want to travel less, play less and spend more time with my family" or "I love the team aspect of LIV Golf" or "I see this as the future" or insert other generic reasons here that we frequently heard.

Reed continues.

"I am moving forward in my career, and I look forward to competing on the PGA Tour and DP World Tour."

If this is such a 'step forward' then is this an admission that going to LIV was in fact a step back? If suddenly, he is desperate to get back to the PGA Tour?

And it’s not just Reed, Koepka's statement also went along similar lines.

I mean literally, which one is it?

When are one of these guys going to give us the truth? When is a player just going to say: "I thought the grass might be greener, but it wasn’t. I made a mistake."

Not only did they go for the money, but they were also possibly made loads of promises around world ranking points, three rounds of golf, etc, and four years down the line they have neither of them and a handful of them (because this won’t be the last) aren’t getting what they were promised. They have dropped so far down the world rankings that their place in particular events isn't guaranteed and for them, that stinks.

Good luck to LIV and their players, but the one thing you can’t buy, is legacy and history of the four majors and other historic events on the tour.

Personally, I am hoping this is another step towards getting the world’s best back together week in week out.