NEWTOWN SQUARE, Pa. — Patrick Reed owns a particular kind of obstinance that fairly explains how he managed to navigate his way around Aronimink Golf Club on Thursday without a bogey. He was the only one to do so, in fact, after coming into the year’s second major, the 108th PGA Championship, as the only player without a competitive round since the Masters.
All one can do is appreciate the brand of golf he displays. It’s one of defiance more than power or precision or even strategy. He likes a fight. A fight likes him, too.
That’s how the former Masters winner cobbled together a two-under 68 made up of two birdies and 16 pars. He hit 16 greens while spending an inordinate amount of time in the rough (eight of 14 driving holes to be exact) and losing 0.281 strokes off the tee to the field. It was hardly a thing of beauty. It was vintage Reed.
“It was definitely a grind,” said the 35-year-old Texas resident, who wore a wide grin when he said it.
“As a competitor and a player, you’re frustrated when you hit that many greens and only make two birdies, but when you’re playing in a major championship, especially on a golf course like this, going out there and playing bogey-free gives you confidence going into the rest of the week.”
The dude never has lacked for confidence.
Twice a winner in January on the DP World Tour, Reed had never gone without a competitive start between majors in his career. He finished T-12 at the Masters after playing his way into contention after 36 holes. Since then, he has worn out the range and course at Carlton Woods, with one important deviation—three days last week practicing here at Aronimink.
“I felt like I saw three different types of golf courses,” he said, noting how the weather changed during his stay in the Philadelphia area. “I really felt like it helped going into this week because you just never know. You never know with the weather, what the wind does, or anything like that, what you’re going to get yourself a part of.”
When he returned home, Reed worked on his short game. A lot. “Wore out two lobbies,” he said, referring to his wedges. He also hit plenty of long irons. Off a tee. All the better to gird himself for Aronimink’s long par-3 holes.
“I mean, how many times do you hit long irons off a tee on a range? I never do,” Reed said. “But that was pretty important, to work on yardages, hitting different shots and working it.”
Having decided to leave the LIV Golf League at the beginning of the year, Reed looks like he abandoned ship before it started sinking. But he was surprised by the recent news that the Public Investment Fund of Saudi Arabia was pulling the plug on its financial interests in the rival tour to the PGA Tour. His timing could not have been better.
“It has nothing to do with that [the PIF ending its LIV investment],” he said. “That was strictly how I felt on the golf course when I was in Dubai and having those feelings, having those ups and downs—that traditional type of golf where you’re the last man standing on the range.”
That makes sense. Reed, often clad in black pants, shirt and cap, would enjoy being the lone figure getting ready for a final round. He has always seemed like a man on a raft who can see land not far off in the distance and doesn’t really care if he gets there—until he is good and ready. And then he is going to do it in a way you’d least expect.
Once the PGA is over, he does not intend to play again until the U.S. Open at Shinnecock. It’s not the optimum way to prepare for major championships, but for Patrick Reed, there is comfort in being an iconoclast. There is joy in the battle, bruises and all.
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