Patrick Reed, who currently tops the Race to Dubai leaderboard, says that becoming the second American ever to finish the season as the European Tour's number one would be hugely significant for him, and he insists that he has "no excuses" as he works to widen the gap over Rory McIlroy after a recent shoulder setback. Reed is set to tee off at the Open de España on Thursday, marking his first start since he withdrew midway through the second round of the BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth last month due to the injury.
At 36, Reed is chasing the same milestone that fellow countryman Collin Morikawa achieved when he captured the Race to Dubai title in 2021. With five DP World Tour events still to play, Reed enjoys a comfortable cushion of roughly 300 points over McIlroy, who will miss the Spanish event but is slated to compete at the DP World India Championship in New Delhi beginning on October 15.
Reed seized the top spot in February after a pair of victories – the Hero Dubai Desert Classic and the Qatar Masters – that bookended a narrow playoff loss at the Bahrain Championship. Since then, the 2018 Masters champion has added three more top‑10 finishes, reinforcing his position at the summit of the season‑long race. The Texan explained his motivation: "I've always taken pride in being that American who enjoys traveling the globe and playing on different tours.
Getting the chance to compete here, not just to play but to fight for the Race to Dubai, would mean a lot to me. Gary Player once told me, 'if you want to be a worldwide player, you have to step outside the PGA Tour.' Once I got the opportunity to come over, I fell in love with it.
My hope is that I can inspire more Americans and other top players to venture beyond the PGA, helping the game grow worldwide." Reed, who was runner‑up to Shane Lowry at the Amgen Irish Open in September, described the injury that forced his withdrawal at Wentworth: "I never saw it coming. It was the first time I ever had to pull out of a round because of an injury.
I'd rather shoot a hundred than walk off. When I examined my hand it was swollen and any touch caused sharp pain, so the medics thought I might have broken something inside. It turned out to be a shoulder issue, not a hand injury. The good news is it only set me back a week.
It can be uncomfortable, but I can still swing the club and perform. So there are no excuses – I’m out there grinding and hoping to finish the year strong." Three‑time Open de España champion Jon Rahm will miss his home tournament; Spanish outlets report the 31‑year‑old is in the United States awaiting the birth of his daughter. Defending champion England's Marco Penge returns to defend his title in Madrid, while the field also features Shane Lowry, Justin Rose, Ludvig Åberg, Sergio García and Eugenio Chacarra, who currently sits third in the Race to Dubai standings behind Reed and McIlroy.
Reed's broader career context adds another layer to his current push. Earlier this year he left LIV Golf to set his sights on a return to the PGA Tour beginning in 2027. He has not featured in a Ryder Cup since the 2018 edition in France, where he publicly criticized captain Jim Furyk’s decisions as the United States suffered a heavy defeat to Europe.
Furyk, who will again captain the U.S. team for the 2027 Ryder Cup in Ireland, was asked in a press conference a year out whether Reed is part of his plans. Furyk responded, "We are going to select the best twelve players, the best team of twelve. If Patrick Reed is one of those, that's great." Reed's determination to stay injury‑free and maintain his form is evident in his comments about the shoulder problem.
He noted that while the discomfort remains, it has not hindered his swing mechanics, and he feels capable of delivering the same level of performance that has propelled him to the top of the standings. His focus now is on the remaining DP World Tour events, where each tournament offers valuable points that could either cement his lead or allow McIlroy to close the gap.
The Open de España will be broadcast live on Sky Sports Golf from 1 p.m. on Thursday, with additional coverage on Sky Sports Main Event beginning at 3 p.m.
Viewers can also access the event via streaming platforms that offer Sky Sports packages with no contract commitments. As the tournament unfolds, all eyes will be on Reed to see whether he can convert his momentum into another victory and further solidify his bid to become the second American ever to finish the season as the European Tour's number one.