Patrick Reed doesn’t consider he’s golf’s forgotten man as he chases his second Masters title at Augusta Nationwide this week.
The Texan held off Rory McIlroy to win in 2018 and after successful twice on the DP World Tour this season to high the Race to Dubai, he tees it up this week believing he can win one other inexperienced jacket.
“I by no means really feel neglected after I come again to being a previous champion at Augusta,” stated Reed, who has completed within the high ten 4 instances since he outgunned McIlroy six years in the past.
“Clearly, love being on this room. It means you are doing one thing properly.
“No, anytime I come out right here, it is simply form of a kind of issues that you simply put your head down. The stresses over each single golf shot you could have right here at Augusta, it is a kind of locations that you simply’re not likely fascinated about what is going on on outdoors and every thing else.
“You are making an attempt to grind each little second that you’re contained in the ropes whenever you’re on the market on the golf course enjoying. Hopefully we’ll be in right here Thursday by Sunday.”
With McIlroy and world primary Scottie Scheffler clearly fancied to win and LIV Golf star’s Jon Rahm and Bryson DeChambeau anticipated to problem, Reed is coming in below the radar after a three-week break and feeling assured.
“I at all times really feel actually good coming in,” he stated. “It is certainly one of these items that, being the primary main, you at all times attempt to are available and clearly be in nice type, however it’s very straightforward to form of put an excessive amount of stress on your self being the primary main.
“The primary time I truly form of determined simply to let go and play golf was ’18, and that bought the job accomplished.”
The previous LIV star, who will return to the PGA TOUR fold later this season as he focuses his consideration on Europe, made no secret of his need to win a second inexperienced jacket.
“Driving up Magnolia Lane, you at all times sit there and also you at all times really feel actually good driving in, particularly as a previous champion,” he stated.
“However hopefully we are able to make some extra recollections. The one jacket is getting a bit of lonely. May want yet one more.”
He’ll attend the Masters Membership dinner hosted by McIlroy on Tuesday however there will likely be Tiger Woods or Phil Mickelson current for the primary time since 1994.
“With Tiger, I feel everybody might be in the identical boat, that they are simply very grateful that he is okay and that everybody else that was concerned is okay,” Reed stated of Woods and his determination to hunt assist for the problems that led to a latest automotive crash and driving below the affect arrest.
“Hopefully he is in a position to form of get a speedy restoration and get again right here to golf as quick as he can.
“Let’s be sincere, with out Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson within the occasions, in golf, after they each step away, actually I really feel it hurts the sport of golf, however on the similar time, we would like them to return again and be wholesome and able to go.”
As for his determination to not settle for his contract renewal provide from LIV Golf, he insisted it got here right down to household ultimately.
“No, we had a proposal, however on the finish of the day, it was form of a kind of that, after I sat down on the finish of the day and talked with my spouse and my staff, I simply felt like one of the best determination for us was to return again and be part of the PGA TOUR so I might be nearer to house and with the household,” he stated.
“Yeah, there’s nothing that I felt like was happening between LIV and us or something like that.
“Like I stated, we had a contract, had a deal, however on the finish of the day, I felt like one of the best factor for us was to return to the PGA TOUR once more.”
