Jan 28 (Reuters) - Former Masters champion Patrick Reed has decided to leave Saudi-funded LIV Golf and is seeking reinstatement of his PGA Tour membership for the 2027 season, the American said on Wednesday.
Reed, 35, is the second high-profile player to quit LIV Golf recently, following a similar move by five-times major winner Brooks Koepka, who was reinstated through a Returning Member Program by the PGA Tour two weeks ago.
A nine-times winner on the PGA Tour whose biggest triumph came at the 2018 Masters, Reed said he will compete on the European DP World Tour this season before rejoining the PGA Tour as a past champion in 2027. He won the DP World Tour's high-profile Dubai Desert Classic on Sunday.
"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," Reed said in a statement.
"I am very fortunate for the opportunities that have come my way and grateful for the life we have created. I am moving forward in my career, and I look forward to competing on the PGA Tour and DP World Tour. I can’t wait to get back out there and revisit some of the best places on earth."
As a result of resigning his membership in 2022 prior to violating any PGA Tour regulations, Reed is eligible to compete on the U.S.-based circuit as a non-member beginning on August 25, a year on from his last LIV Golf event.
The PGA Tour sent a memo to players outlining the path back for players like 35-year-old Reed, who does not meet the criteria for the recently announced Returning Member Program that is open only to golfers who have won a major or The Players Championship since 2022.
That program cleared the way for Koepka to make his return at this week's Farmers Insurance Open at Torrey Pines in San Diego.
(Reporting by Frank Pingue in Toronto)
