“We're still finalising the contract" - Reed yet to re-sign for LIV Golf

Patrick Reed of 4Aces GC poses for a portrait during the LIV Golf Media Week at the Hilton on Tuesday, January 07, 2025 in West Palm Beach, Florida. (Photo by Montana Pritchard/LIV Golf)

Patrick Reed won the Hero Dubai Desert Classic but a question mark remains over his LIV Golf future as he negotiates his 2026 contract.

The Texan admitted he's currently a free agent and while it’s possible he may not agree terms with the Saudi-funded league and play only the majors and DP World Tour events this season, he said he'd be “surprised if we're not teeing it up in LIV’s season-opening event in Riyadh next month.

“We're still finalising the contract,” Reed said after a four-shot win that provisionally catapults him to 29th in the world. “We're not complete on that yet.”

Reed confirmed that he is not talking to the PGA Tour but he stopped short of saying there was a chance he might have played his last LIV event.

“Not that I know of,” he said. “Not right now. Really, it just all depends on everything.

“I mean, I haven't talked to the team back home or anything like that. But at the moment, I plan on teeing it up there in Riyadh, and I'd be surprised if we're not.”

Asked what his options were should he leave LIV, he said: “Continue to play out here and be in the Top 10 and be on the PGA TOUR next year. I mean...

“I mean, good golf takes care of itself, right. It's always kind of been that way from day one.

“You know, if you're college, even before college, you play well in high school, that's what got you college scholarships.

“You play really well in college, that got you sponsors to hopefully playing on tour. And then you play well at Q-School and on tour and that gets you a card on the PGA TOUR and so forth and so forth.

“Yeah, I mean, if I ended up not playing on LIV this year, obviously it would be one of those things that I would be out here playing more on this tour and trying to secure one of those spots in the Top 10, and allow myself to get back on the PGA TOUR.”

He denied that money was at the heart of his protracted talks with LIV Golf.

“No, it's just one of those things with contracts and stuff,” he said. “There's a lot of language and wording in contracts and everything, and really, at this point, I mean, I don't know where everything stands.

“I haven't talked to my team these past couple of days. It's been an odd time, obviously, back home compared to me being here.

“My team's always very good about allowing me to focus on golf, especially during the tournament, once the tournament starts. Yeah, I mean, it all just kind of depends.

“I'm pretty sure I'll talk to them either tonight or tomorrow morning and see where everything stands and everything.

“But yeah, at the moment right now, it's just kind of enjoy this win and kind of get ready for next week (in Bahrain).”

The Texan hopes to add more wins to his CV and contend for another Masters win.

“I would like to hoist up a lot more of these trophies, that's for sure,” he said.

“I feel like just getting a win off early like this, especially after an off-season where I was making some changes in the golf swing, and to make some changes and then come out and have success right off the bat, it gives me as a player that confidence that what I worked on in the off-season, those changes actually helped and were the right things.

“Hopefully with that confidence, it allows me to play a little freer, play a little more aggressive, and hopefully have a lot more chances late Sundays to win, and really just kind of get ready for Augusta and hopefully put on another green jacket and secure all the majors for five years rather than always having to be year by year.”