PGA Tour players react to Patrick Reed's return: 'Dominoes are starting to fall'

The day before Brooks Koepka tees it up in his return to the PGA Tour at the Farmers Insurance Open, another former major champion dropped a bombshell with Patrick Reed announcing Wednesday that he is also leaving LIV Golf, effective immediately.

However, unlike Koepka, Reed cannot return to the tour immediately.

Reed's announcement came with a different twist, and one that will likely soften some of the criticism the PGA Tour received for its hastily devised Returning Player Program that enabled Koepka to compete right away.

Reed, who last played in a LIV event on August 24, will serve the one-year suspension the PGA Tour has previously imposed for any player who competed on the Saudi-backed circuit. The 2018 Masters champion plans to compete on the DP World Tour in 2026 before being eligible to play on the FedEx Fall slate under his former champions status.

Reed will also join former LIV counterparts Hudson Swafford and Pat Perez in being eligible for reinstatement to the tour for the 2027 season, while the potential return date for Kevin Na remains uncertain.

"As you're seeing, kind of the dominoes are starting to fall of maybe those guys on the LIV tour are not that happy out there and the grass is not greener on the other side," Harris English, this week's defending champion, said. "They're seeing the PGA TOUR getting stronger and having more success, and kind of seeing that money's not the end all, be all.

"Like, that doesn't fulfill them. It doesn't fulfill me. They're still competitors, they're competitive people and they love playing in the biggest events against the best players in the world. For me, that's out here on the PGA Tour and I think they're starting to realise that, that that's what fulfills them."

Reed's victory in Dubai last week may have played a role in his decision, as he currently sits second in the DP World Tour standings with the top 10 at the end of the season earning PGA Tour cards. He could also accept sponsor exemptions and play in Monday qualifiers as soon as September. Playing his way into being a captain's pick for the Presidents Cup is also within reach.

As word of Reed's announcement made its way around the grounds at Torrey Pines, the reaction was overwhelmingly positive. Perhaps because Reed will serve the ban while also being ineligible for the Player Equity Program through 2030.

High profile players, including Hideki Matsuyama and Wyndham Clark, have questioned Koepka's immediate path back to the PGA Tour after bolting for a lucrative LIV Golf contract four years ago. Reed is the first marquee name to voluntarily make the switch back while knowing he will need to serve the ban.

"I think people want to be on the PGA Tour," said defending US Open champion J.J. Spaun. "It's the best Tour in the world, the most competitive tour.

"I think Patrick will be a good asset to this tour and I think it just speaks volumes to where the Tour's headed. I think to add even more competition for us that have been here while they left, and, you know, adding Brooks and Patrick now, it's just strengthening our tour, which I think is great."

Following Reed's announcement, all eyes will return to Koepka on Thursday morning when he tees off in the first round at 12:32 p.m ET. He will be paired with popular veteran Max Homa and rising star Ludvig Aberg, who said he never considered signing with LIV before turning professional in 2023.

The Swede has never competed alongside Koepka on the PGA Tour, but said he has no problem welcoming him back.

"I do understand certain situations are going to be a little bit different, everyone's going to view it a little bit differently and I think everyone's going to make the best decision for their personal career," Aberg said. "When it was an option for me, I didn't like it. It wasn't anything that I wanted to be a part of, so naturally for me in my position that wasn't going to be the case.

"Guys are doing it – if you're doing it the right way and you want to come back, I have no problem."