Patrick Reed Extends Lead at the Qatar Masters
DOHA, Qatar – Patrick Reed kept a clean card on Saturday, with a 70 (-2) at the Qatar Masters, a round that slightly extended his lead and significantly boosted his confidence, seeking his second European Tour title in three weeks.
The only birdies for Reed were a 20-foot putt on the second hole and a simple up-and-down on the 10th hole, par 5. Although Joakim Lagergren led in the first nine holes, the Swede had four bogeys in his last 11 holes, falling back in the standings.
Reed stood at 14 under par, with a total of 202, two strokes ahead of Jacob Skov Olesen, from Denmark, who signed a 68.
Reed only managed a birdie on the par 5s at Doha Golf Club, as well as a par with three putts from 95 feet on the final hole. The control of his game, especially with the irons, left him satisfied.
I felt like I hit the ball better today than in the last two days… well, really compared to yesterday, and two strokes worse. So it’s an interesting game. The golf game feels good, feels solid, feels stable, and I really just have to go out there and keep my foot on the gas tomorrow.
This is the fourth consecutive week in the Middle East for the 35-year-old American, a month that has marked a turning point in his career, the 2018 Masters champion.
Reed won the Dubai Desert Classic against a strong field for his first European Tour title, revealed that he had not yet renewed his agreement with Saudi-funded LIV Golf, and then left the league after failing to reach an agreement for a new contract.
Despite all this, Reed lost in a playoff last week in Bahrain and is now one round away from another European Tour title that would put him at the top of the Race to Dubai and take him to the top 20 in the world rankings for the first time since September 2021.
In addition, it would practically guarantee a PGA Tour card for 2027, being among the top 10 European Tour players who are not yet exempt. Reed would be close to the total points that earned him a PGA Tour card last year, and still has four majors and five Rolex Series events ahead.
The PGA Tour has indicated that Reed could return as early as September, a year after his last LIV event.
