Patrick Reed’s win in Dubai did more than add another title to his season. It may have also locked in his spots at the major championships for 2026.
Reed’s four shot victory at the Hero Dubai Desert Classic marked his first DP World Tour win since 2020 and is expected to lift him to around 29th in the Official World Golf Ranking. That move puts him in a strong position to qualify for all four majors this year.
Reed already has a lifetime exemption into the Masters. With his ranking now inside the usual cut lines, he is also in good shape to qualify for the U.S. Open, The Open Championship and the PGA Championship.
“It’s always nice to lock up the majors,” Reed said. “I mean, any time you go ahead and get a win it’s special. It means a lot.”
When told about his projected jump into the top 30 Reed said it showed his game is where he wants it to be.
“To be a guy that earned my World Ranking points out here in the majors to sit there and have as little amount of events that I’ve played to be in the Top 30 is something that it shows that my golf game still where I want it to be. Hopefully this springboards me this year to have a really solid year.”
Since moving to LIV Golf in 2022 Reed has had to find different ways to qualify for majors after his five year exemption from the 2018 Masters expired. He missed two majors in 2024 before working his way back into all four last season through strong results on the Asian Tour.
This year, the Dubai win looks set to make things much easier. With world ranking spots often deciding entry into the U.S. Open, The Open and the PGA Championship, Reed’s new standing should remove much of the pressure he faced in recent seasons.
Reed also continues to play a busy schedule alongside LIV Golf. He took part in 10 DP World Tour events last year outside the majors and is expected to do something similar again in 2026 starting with an event in Bahrain next week.
Patrick Reed reveals he is currently without a LIV Golf contract
After his win in Dubai, Patrick Reed shared that he has not yet signed a new deal with LIV Golf for the 2026 season.
The former Masters champion said discussions are still ongoing and nothing has been finalized ahead of LIV’s opening event in Riyadh.
“We’re still finalising the contract,” Reed said. “We’re not complete on that yet. Am I a free agent? At the moment, yes… But I plan on teeing it up in Riyadh and I’d be surprised if we’re not.”
Reed also joked that his winner’s cheque from Dubai could help cover any DP World Tour fines linked to LIV appearances.
He also pointed out that staying active on the DP World Tour could offer another route back to the PGA Tour if needed. The top 10 players in the Race to Dubai earn PGA Tour cards for the following season.
“Continue to play out here and be in the Top 10 and be on the PGA Tour next year,” Reed said. “Good golf takes care of itself. If I ended up not playing on LIV this year I’d be out here playing more and trying to secure one of those spots.”
For now, Patrick Reed expects to stay with LIV Golf but his future is still not fully settled.
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