Patrick Reed secured yet another triumph. On Sunday, the American golfer secured his second win on the DP World Tour early in the current season, transforming his leading position after 54 holes at the 2026 Qatar Masters into a two-stroke advantage over Calum Hill, finishing at 16 strokes under par. This victory practically guarantees Reed one of the ten PGA Tour invitations awarded to the highest-ranking participants in the DP World Tour’s Race to Dubai who aren’t already qualified.
Reed commented, “This recent streak of mine, encompassing two victories and a runner-up placement, is remarkable. Our performance couldn’t have been better. It’s a distinct honor to compete here, particularly to achieve two victories so early in the season, and I’m optimistic for more.”
With 2,260 points, along with a playoff defeat last weekend at the Bahrain Championship and his triumph at the Dubai Desert Classic, Reed now occupies the leading position in the season-long competition. Subsequent to the Classic, Reed disclosed that he had not yet secured a contract for the forthcoming LIV Golf season, and shortly thereafter, he resolved to cease playing with the 4Aces, opting instead to participate in the DP World Tour this season with the objective of a comeback to the PGA Tour in 2027.
The victor of the Masters tournament had intended to utilize a prior champion exemption for reentry into the PGA Tour, however, it is now probable that he can bypass using it, given that his current accumulation of points in the Race to Dubai places him favorably to secure a full-time PGA Tour card, judging by the outcomes of past points competitions.
As an illustration, in the previous season, Jordan Smith acquired the tenth full-time PGA Tour card by accumulating 2,203 points. In the season before that, Tom McKibbin, who eventually chose to compete in LIV Golf instead, secured his PGA Tour card with merely 1,897 points.
For the consecutive second week, Reed discovered himself vying for the lead, with Hill emerging as one of his primary competitors. Both golfers had experienced playoff defeats the preceding weekend at the Bahrain Championship. However, further along the course, Hill made significant gains, attributed to a back-nine score of 30, which featured four consecutive birdies from holes 14 through 17.
He completed the round with a 5-under 67, bringing his tournament total to 14 under par. Reed’s tournament score receded to 13 under par due to a front-nine performance of 1 over; nonetheless, precisely upon reaching the back nine, he revitalized his play. Holding a single-stroke advantage, Reed decisively concluded this tournament by achieving three birdies from holes 10 to 14, notably sinking a flawless shot on the 14th hole, which ultimately secured his victory.
Reed remarked, “Things were not appearing very favorable on the front nine. To relinquish the lead in such a manner and then to subsequently activate my game on the back nine was, without a doubt, a fantastic sensation. I simply required a putt to drop. I mean, I used 18 putts on the front nine; yesterday, I registered 33 putts, so I perceived my ball-striking as adequate. I sensed that immediately upon reaching the turn — understanding that we were then playing catch-up — I resolved to play aggressively, relying on my putting and adhering to my strategy, and we successfully managed to accomplish the task.
“I am feeling wonderful. This particular achievement hasn’t entirely registered with me yet, but considering the intense pressure of the day, I felt immense pride because the outcome could have quite easily slipped from my grasp. The level of golf we have showcased since essentially the offseason period has been truly outstanding. My confidence in my current golf game is exceptionally high, and it is consistently gratifying to perform as we do, particularly in this region.”
