Patrick Reed To Drop Out Of World Top 50 For First Time Since 2014

Patrick Reed is poised to drop out of the top 50 of the Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR) for the first time since January 2014.

The American initially forced his way into the top 50 after winning the PGA Tour's Humana Challenge, and reached a career high of World No.6 in 2020. However, his defection to LIV Golf, which can’t yet award OWGR points, has seen his status become increasingly precarious, and he’ll finally drop out of the world's top 50 following his disappointing missed cut in the DP World Tour’s Open de France at Le Golf National.

Reed posted an underwhelming 73 in his opening round, and he barely improved on Friday with a 72 to miss the cut by three shots and the chance to stay in the world's top 50. The 32-year-old didn't win any OWGR points for his efforts, and is now guaranteed to be out of the world's top 50 when the new rankings are released on Monday.

Reed’s performance will come as a surprise to many, particularly after a strong showing in the Tour’s flagship event earlier in the month, the BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth, where he finished tied for 5th. That was enough to keep Reed at World No.50, but after starting the year as World No.25, his fall beneath the benchmark level has had an air of inevitability for some time.

Video: What Is LIV Golf?

Nevertheless, when Reed made his LIV Golf debut in Portland, Oregon in June, he was relatively comfortable in the top 50, at World No.39. However, the Saudi-backed venture’s lack of OWGR status has inevitably exacerbated his fall in recent months, with only four appearances in ranking tournaments since he left the PGA Tour. 

Reed’s situation is indicative of a wider issue among LIV Golf players, who will face eligibility issues for certain Majors the longer the Series is not able to offer OWGR points. Indeed, 50 LIV Golf players recently signed a letter urging OWGR CEO Peter Dawson to make a decision in LIV Golf’s favour sooner rather than later.

While that process is ongoing, Reed will continue his pursuit of precious OWGR points when he tees it up at next week's Dunhill Links along with a group of fellow LIV Golf players.