Five years after slipping on the iconic Green Jacket, Patrick Reed would be delighted to see another member of the LIV Golf contingent claim the prize at this year's Masters.
Almost 12 months after the Saudi-backed competition made its debut as the rival to the PGA and European Tours, those who accepted offers to join LIV's lucrative ranks remain vilified in certain circles. But Reed believes that very 'us versus them' mentality has in many ways unified the players, 18 of whom will be present at the first major of 2023.
It helps, of course, that LIV Golf came equipped with a team element to its format, a trait its members like to tout as one of its more appealing in contrast to golf's more established competitions. However, 2018 Masters champion Reed has spoken of a more unilateral bond between him and all others on LIV's books in preparation for his return to Augusta National.
"If you’re able to go out and win, it brings a boost not only to yourself, but to the league and the team that you’re on," he told reporters ahead of the third LIV Golf event of 2023. "Now it’s just not sharing it with yourself and your inner circle, but you're sharing it with these guys out there. It would just be huge for morale."
Brooks Koepka will be another of those LIV defectors looking to cause a stir in Georgia, though unlike Reed, he's still searching for his first Green Jacket. Koepka nodded along to Reed's sentiment and agreed it would indeed be significant if this year's Masters were won by a LIV contender: “Anytime you win the Masters or the Open that’s usually a big statement.”
The pair were speaking at Orange County National Golf Course in Orlando, Florida, where the second season of LIV Golf is set to resume following a fortnight's respite. This weekend's event will be the last stop before the series goes international with back-to-back stops in Adelaide (April 23) and Singapore (April 30).
Reed, 32, is one of six LIV members in the field for the Masters who has won the tournament in the past. The others on that list include Phil Mickelson, Dustin Johnson, Sergio Garcia, Bubba Watson and Charl Schwartzel, none of whom are highly favoured to contest this year's crown.
Cameron Smith—who won The Open last year before a furore started over his impending move to LIV—may stand a better chance, though the Australian has been out of form of late. Koepka's short-game coach, Pete Cowen, has expressed doubt as to whether a champion can emerge from the LIV group, who will have played fewer than half the minutes many of their top PGA peers have so far this year.
"The storylines are going to be obviously LIV versus the PGA Tour and all that kind of stuff, but really at the majors, the top players will be playing against each other no matter where they come from," added Reed. "It doesn't matter what tour they’re playing on.
"For us at least, it’s going to be business as usual. Would I like to have LIV at the top [of the leaderboard]? Of course. But at the end of the day it’s all of us going up there and trying to play the best we can."
From that, it's safe to assume Reed is happy for any of his fellow LIV players to emerge with the win come April 9—unless he's in with a shot himself. With one Green Jacket and two other top-10 finishes from the last five editions of the major, the Texas native can hardly be ruled out.
