Patrick Reed didn’t have his best stuff tee to green during the first round of the DP World Tour Championship but his incredible short game put him right in the thick of the hunt at the European Tour’s season finale.
Reed traveled to Dubai and came in atop the points rankings to determine the No. 1 player in Europe. Winner this week will receive 2,000 points and the title is open to nearly every player in the 65-man field with a few exceptions.
For Reed, it would ironic if he won the title as he’s been a nemesis in Ryder Cup play against the European teams.
“To be over here, be able to be back play on The European Tour is always a treat for me,” Reed said before the opening round. “To be in the position that I’m in, being kind of the leader coming in, is an awesome feeling. Shows that what I did throughout year was solid and really it comes down to this event. Come down and play well and hopefully make history. I feel comfortable with the way the game is right now. I feel good going into tomorrow, and it’s just one of those things that it’s last event of the year.”
Reed found the deep rough too many times off the tee on opening day but he was able to get in position and let his short game do the talking. As a result, he went bogey-free with just a pair of birdies for his opening, two-under par 70 that left him tied for ninth. Past champions of this event have typically been in the top 10 after the first round.
Reed was two shots better than fellow American and PGA champion Collin Morikawa. Morikawa had four birdies on the day but they were offset by four bogeys.
Sean Crocker is an American who plays the European Tour and he was in the group at 70 with Reed. John Catlin, another American who plays in Europe, had a tough day and posted a three-over par 75.
Some other big names from the PGA Tour made the trip. Viktor Hovland, last week’s winner at the Mayakoba Classic, opened with a one-under par 71. Hovland’s presence is important as he’s considered a lock to be a future Ryder Cup player for the European team.
PGA Tour ironman Sungjae Im didn’t fare too well. His scorecard was littered with bogeys and a pair of doubles and he posted a three-over par 75.
On Friday things really came together for Reed in the second round. He put five birdies on his card over the first nine holes thanks to more good putting. He birdied three of his final four holes to shoot the week’s best round — an eight-under par 64 that got him to 10-under and in the lead heading to the weekend.
“Eight-under par, I was happy,” Reed said after his work was done. “Today I was able to hit the ball a little closer and give myself more opportunities.”
He pointed out his game “feels more comfortable.”
