Patrick Reed makes Ryder Cup appeal to US captain Keegan Bradley

Patrick Reed insists there is no “bad blood” between him and other players as he bids to return to the Ryder Cup fold.

Reed has a stellar record in the biennial slobberknocker between the United States and Europe, ending the week as his team’s top scorer with three and a half points in both 2014 and 2016 to earn himself the nickname ‘Captain America’.

And while he had to wait until Sunday’s singles to earn his first point of the 2018 event in Paris, that was to be Reed’s last involvement in the competition to date.

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He was somewhat controversially left out of the 2021 Ryder Cup, for which he finished 11th in qualifying but was overlooked in favour of 14th-placed Scottie Scheffler, before his move to LIV Golf effectively ruled him out of Rome last time out.

But his hopes of a spectacular comeback to the US team room were given a significant boost in August when newly-appointed captain Keegan Bradley announced that he wants “the best 12 players” on his team, regardless of which tour they compete, and that he would he be attending LIV Golf events ahead of the next match at Bethpage.

That, Reeds says, was music to his ears.

“I’m glad he’s open to it,” Reed told Gulf News at the Asian Tour’s International Series event in Qatar, where he finished in a tie for 13th.

“I hope some of our guys play well enough to get out there and are able to represent the country.

“Out of all the golf I’ve played since joining LIV, the majors and stuff with these other guys, and the guys on the PGA Tour that are American, I’ve yet to run into anybody that’s had bad blood.

“Everyone’s been the same. I wouldn’t think it would affect the team either way. It’s just about making the team better.”

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Reed, meanwhile, explained his reasoning for renewing his DP World Tour card for the 2025 season.

“I want to keep supporting that tour,” he said. “It’s a reason why I flew over there during Covid.

“I feel like I’ve done a lot to help that tour. I’ve shown how loyal and how much support I have for them. Hopefully, they take that into consideration and give love back.

“I’ve taken pride in being the fourth American ever to hold honorary membership. To be beside the names of Tom Watson, Jack Nicklaus, and Arnold Palmer – it means a lot to me, and I don’t want to give that up.”

Alex Perry is the Associate Editor of bunkered. A journalist for more than 20 years, he has been a golf industry stalwart for the majority of his career and, in a five-year spell at ESPN, covered every sporting event you can think of. He completed his own Grand Slam at the 2023 Masters, having fallen in love with the sport at his hometown club of Okehampton and on the links of nearby Bude & North Cornwall.

Associate Editor