There is a battle brewing between Rory McIlroy and Patrick Reed.
Other war, that is.
These guys have history. A complicated history. A history of feeling good and a history of feeling weird. And they are about to add to it.
Before we look forward, let’s go back.
There was a wild back-and-forth at the Hazeltine Ryder Cup, the game that introduced the shush and the I-don’t-know-you and helped elevate the annual event into the stratosphere.
Reed and Rory at the 2016 Ryder Cup.
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There was a final group at the 2018 Masters, where McIlroy failed and Reed won, one man’s best chance at a major tournament fading away while the defining moment of his rival’s career unfolded around him.
These were good times. The relationship seems to be good. It’s a respected game. When Reed found himself at the center of a rules controversy, McIlroy said he had only had “good communication” with Reed.
“I don’t think it would have been a big deal if it wasn’t for Patrick Reed. A lot of people in the game, it’s almost like a hobby to kick him when he’s down,” McIlroy said at the time.
Patrick Reed and Rory McIlroy played together in the final pairing at the 2018 Masters.
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Years passed when things went sideways.
Reed left the PGA Tour for LIV in 2022. Later that year he enlisted the services of attorney (now suspended) Larry Klayman and sued various members of the media for the better part of billions of dollars. In a separate lawsuit Klayman also sued the PGA Tour – and in the process served subpoenas on McIlroy’s home on Christmas Eve. What’s wrong between friends, right?!
As it turns out, McIlroy didn’t see things that way. When Reed arrived to say hello at Dubai’s driving range a few weeks later, he received something less than a warm welcome. McIlroy didn’t say hello back, Reed walked away and threw 4Aces off the tee back towards him.
Rory on blasting Patrick Reed:
“I didn’t see the guy coming at me at all, but obviously that’s what happened. And if the roles were reversed and I was going to throw that tee at him, I would be expecting a charge.”pic.twitter.com/thXPfvz5Kp
A few charged quotes followed. First this one, from McIlroy:
“I live honestly, I don’t know where he lives, if I were in his shoes, I wouldn’t expect to say hello and shake hands.”
And this, from Reed:
“He saw me and decided not to react. It’s unfortunate. But it’s one of those things: if you’re going to act like an immature little kid, you might be treated like one.”
This incident also included infidel speech in the history of infidel speech:
All of that brings us back to the present day. Three-plus years later, McIlroy still has his Masters, Reed has turned down LIV for the return of the PGA Tour and we may get an awkward meeting between the two at some point. There were signs of interest; McIlroy never promised to throw a welcome party for Reed, but he has now endorsed Reed’s return as “PGA Tour-ready” multiple times.
But Reed hasn’t been immediately reinstated to PGA Tour play; he will have to sit out the fall season, when his one-year ban is up. As a result, he’s in a funny dilemma between LIV and the PGA Tour, which puts him in a third league: the DP World Tour battleground.
When the calendar changed to 2026, Reed found a special form. He won in Dubai. Lost in the final in Bahrain. And last weekend he won in Qatar. That T2 win put him at No. 17 in the world and, interestingly, the clear No. 1 in the DPWT’s Race to Dubai.
That is important for two reasons. The first is that Mhlanga was only partially guaranteed on the PGA Tour for the coming seasons; he was the Past champion but needed to finish in the top 10 of the DPWT to earn full status for 2027. Now, based on historical data, you are almost certain to achieve that.
Which brings us back to the whole point of this introduction.
Reed’s latest game again It’s important because of what it means to McIlroy. World No. 2 won four races in a row to Dubai and seven in total – one shy of Colin Montgomerie’s all-time record. Breaking that record is at the top of McIlroy’s list of remaining goals, and despite a limited international schedule, he has made it seem like a breeze.
But Reed’s solitary season throws something different into this year’s equation. While McIlroy is at Pebble Beach this week, starting his PGA Tour season, Reed will play wherever and whenever he wants on the DPWT. He could score for months without McIlroy in the fields next to him. It is not clear how much he will play – but it is clear that the title is on his mind.
“It’s always been a dream of mine to be an American who wins the race to Dubai and we’re off to a fast start,” Reed said after his latest win, beaming with excitement.
It’s early, of course. The biggest scoring comes in the four majors, where McIlroy and Reed will go head-to-head. McIlroy will also play in the co-sanctioned Genesis Scottish Open, where Reed, too, will be able to compete. McIlroy won last year’s Race to Dubai with 5,975 points; Mhlanga is currently in the lead with 2,260. He still has a long way to go. But he also has a healthy head – especially when McIlroy only has 269.
McIlroy won’t need any more motivation when he returns to Augusta National as the defending champion. And Mhlanga, his fire is always burning. But it’s going to be a fascinating subplot as the two clash at the biggest events in their respective sports, a decade after their Hazeltine rivalry.
It’s only February, but one thing seems certain: In mid-November the two will return to Dubai to meet in the DP World Tour Championship. There is no guarantee that one of them will walk away with the title for the rest of the season.
But there is a guarantee that one of them will not.
;)
