As good as Scottie Scheffler, Rory McIlroy and Jon Rahm have been playing recently, none of them is as hot as the veteran golfer who’s currently in between jobs. Patrick Reed, who left LIV Golf ahead of the 2026 season but can’t return to the PGA Tour as a full-time player until 2027, is quietly dominating on the DP World Tour.
On Sunday, Reed fired a 2-under 70 at Doha Golf Club to win the Qatar Masters at 16-under par, giving him two victories in his last three starts in the Middle East. In the one event he didn’t win in that span, he lost in a playoff to Freddy Schott.
“This little run I’ve had, two wins and a second, it’s awesome. We couldn’t ask anything more than what we did,” Reed said after his second win in three weeks, per Golfweek. “It’s special to come out here, especially to get two wins early on in the season, and hopefully there’s a lot more to come.”
Patrick Reed Is Playing Some of the Best Golf of His Life
Qatar Masters: Win Bahrain Championship: T2 (lost in playoff) Dubai Desert Classic: Win
Reed doesn’t have a job with LIV Golf or the PGA Tour right now, but that isn’t stopping him from playing some brilliant golf.
As a lifetime member of the DP World Tour, the American can play a full schedule overseas before he’s allowed to return to the PGA Tour. Reed will be able to play in the Genesis Scottish Open in July and compete in the FedEx Cup Fall once the 2026 season concludes, but his status for 2027 is still up in the air. After a torrid start to the DP World Tour season, Reed is close to guaranteeing his spot as a full-time PGA Tour member next year.
Reed won the Hero Dubai Desert Classic by four strokes last month, cruising to a four-shot victory in a loaded field that included McIlroy, Tommy Fleetwood, Shane Lowry, Tyrrell Hatton and others. One week later, he finished T2 at the Bapco Energies Bahrain Championship after losing to Schott in a three-man playoff. He bounced back this week with a two-shot victory at the Qatar Masters, putting him atop the Race to Dubai standings.
If Reed finishes inside the top 10 in the Race to Dubai standings, which is nearly a guarantee after his dominant start to the season, he’ll rejoin the PGA Tour as a full-time member in 2027.
Reed Will Be a Huge Threat at the 2026 Major Championships
Patrick Reed will be a force to be reckoned with at the majors this year.
Reed’s incredible start to the 2026 season isn’t just important for his future PGA Tour status. It’s also going to vault him inside the top 20 in the Official World Golf Ranking, which should give him a clear pathway to qualify for all four major championships this year. If Reed keeps up this level of play, there’s no reason why he can’t score his second career major victory in 2026.
The 2018 Masters champion will be a top contender at Augusta National Golf Club in April. In his last three Masters starts, Reed has finished T4, T12 and third.
Sure, his last two performances came at weaker DP World Tour events, but he also dominated the Hero Dubai Desert Classic while playing against a dozen of the best players in the world. Reed has the current form and the confidence to win a major in 2026.
The Hottest Golfer in the World Is Currently in Between Jobs