For the first time in four years, Patrick Reed made the return down Magnolia Lane without the cursive emblem of LIV Golf’s 4Aces emblazoned on his cap.
Reed had admitted this week that his abrupt LIV exit in January was due to wanting ‘that adrenaline back.’ That thrill was indisputably rediscovered on the rollercoaster of Augusta’s undulating fairways.
For any golfer, there is undeniably no greater rush than flying to the top of The Masters leaderboard. And on Thursday, Reed did so in near-immaculate fashion.
‘It’s freezing,’ Reed bemoaned as he stepped onto the first tee on a chilly Augusta morning. The temperature would soon be of no concern to the 2018 Masters champion, for he quickly caught fire.
Minutes earlier, he had stood on the range purposeful, his head down and focus locked in. On the course, that intent came to fruition.
The American finished with an opening three-under 69, two shots back of clubhouse leader Sam Burns.
Patrick Reed enjoyed a flying start to the 2026 Masters with an opening three-under 69
Reed climbed up the leaderboard during the first round at Augusta National on Thursday
He soared into an early lead on an eagle when he drained a 27-foot putt off the back fringe at the par-five second. He followed it up at the eighth with yet another colossal eagle putt from 56 feet.
Yet, Augusta’s par-fives proved to be a tale of two nines. While the two of the front nine were the crowning moments of Reed’s opening round, the pair after the turn were his rare downfalls.
He scrambled to make par at the 13th, before his second on the 15th found a watery grave resulting in a costly bogey. The blunder, combined with a prior dropped shot on the 10th, saw Reed drop to three-under.
They were the only blemishes on an insurgent scorecard from Reed. One that, at least until headliners Rory McIlroy and Scottie Scheffler took to the stage, cast him as the main attraction.
The same could not be said for his former LIV comrades. At the time of writing, not a single member of the Saudi-backed circuit had managed to hit par or better.
Big hitters Bryson DeChambeau and Jon Rahm had been the breakaway’s biggest hopes of a green jacket but both imploded in spectacular style.
DeChambeau had reached Amen Corner at even par. Then, his approach to the par-four 11th found sand and the carnage began. Twice DeChambeau failed to hack it out of the bunker and with a triple bogey, his round swiftly unraveled.
Meanwhile, Rahm’s opening round never even had a foundation to crumble. The 2023 winner started the day with a bogey, and from there, he never looked up.
LIV liberation, it appears, is working out for Reed.
Reed celebrates after holing a 56-foot putt for eagle on the par-five eighth
The tournament marked Reed’s first major championship since he left LIV Golf this year
Like him or not, Reed has long known how to steal the spotlight. Since his collegiate days, he has been a divisive figure in the sport of golf. Attention and controversy have trailed after him, often casting his accomplishments on the golf course by the wayside. Or worse, in skepticism.
There was, of course, the great 2019 Hero World Challenge Bunker debacle, the 2021 Farmers Insurance Open ‘Embedded’ Ball debate and his notorious Ryder Cup friction.
The LIV saga, including his multiple defamation lawsuits and his driving range bust-up with McIlroy, was just the latest chapter in his scandalized career.
Thursday, though, presented the LIV escapee with a fresh start. The Reed that arrived at The Masters this week was Reed 2.0. He appeared refreshed and relaxed – something he attributed to spending more time at home with his family rather than jetting across the world for LIV’s international fanfare.
And the Augusta patrons were more than willing to offer him a clean slate. ‘Captain America,’ many cried out after him, referring to his former Ryder Cup glory.
The crowd that traipsed after Reed and playing partners Tommy Fleetwood (one-under) and Akshay Bhatia (one-over) swelled as he rocketed to the leaderboard. Reed’s past misdemeanors were forgotten.
Unlike Brooks Koepka, Reed’s departure from LIV came without warning, with the man himself admitting that it happened quickly.
‘I really just kind of was sitting back and realizing that I wanted to get back and not only join – have an opportunity back on the PGA Tour, but get back to the traditional way of golf and playing,’ he admitted on Monday.
The former LIV Golf player carded just two bogeys throughout the opening round
He has won twice on the DP World Tour this year and added a tied-second finish
And what better way to return to the traditional way than at The Masters, where there is tradition unlike any other.
Reed’s form, unlike his LIV split however, should come as no surprise. In contrast to the Thursday morning chill, he arrived at Augusta as one of the hottest players in the game. Since returning from his exile, the American has won twice on the DP World Tour this year and added a tied-second finish.
Reed is also no stranger to success at Augusta National, claiming the green jacket in 2018 and recording five top-12 finishes in the tournaments since.
Yet, Reed and his Masters prospects had surprisingly fallen under the radar heading into this week. That’s because this year he is somewhat of a vagabond, caught between two tours as he bides his time on the DP World Tour while waiting for his PGA Tour ban to finally be lifted in the fall.
However, following Thursday’s performance, Reed’s name would be impossible to forget amid the hunting pack of Augusta’s leaderboard. Whether Tom Watson and the anti-LIV returnee brigade like it, Reed is back and in the mix.
And, perhaps, it was evidence that, in his LIV liberation, the revamped Reed is poised to seal his comeback with a second green jacket.
