Masters champ Patrick Reed is a surprise addition teeing-up in this weeks 81st edition of newly titled Italian Open presented by Regione Emilia-Romagna and being staged on the Adriatic Golf Club Cervia course in Milano Marittima at Ravenna.
Reed, 33, has not contested a DP World Tour event since early last year when losing out to Rory McIlroy at the Hero Dubai Desert Classic.
However, the American who brilliantly captured the 2018 Masters will not only be looking for a fourth DP World Tour win and a first on Eurorpean soil but Reed will be looking to finish two-two among that not already qualified into next month’s 152nd Open Championship at Royal Troon.
After a career high of No. 6 in the world Reed has dropped to 102nd on the Official World Golf rankings and if he’s to qualify for what would be a 10th Open Championship in succession since his debut in golf’s oldest major in 2014 then he needs to secure one of the two spots up for grabs on the 2023 Ryder Cup host course.
BENVENUTO ITALIA
As @TheMasters champ @PReedGolf @PatReedTracker @livgolf_league tees-up in 8⃣1⃣st #ItalianOpen @DPWorldTour seeking to secure an @RoyalTroonGC tee-time
Read: https://t.co/Pekdpi0vMn
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— Golf & Science News (@TOURMISS) June 25, 2024
As mentioned, Reed now finds himself outside the top 100 players in the OWGR, and in speaking at the recent LIV Golf event in Houston he pointed the finger at OWGR’s lack of LIV inclusion as the reasoning behind the end of his impressive major run. “I feel like the world ranking is not a reflection of where I should be and what events I should be in,” Reed commented at LIV Houston.
“But at the end of the day, I don’t make those decisions. It’s their call on special exemptions. They’re the ones that make those decisions and I just have to live with it, just continue doing what I do and play golf.”
As well, it must be mentioend Reed is an honorary member of the DP World Tour, and despite conflicting tournament regulations that were the subject of last year’s arbitration hearings still applying to him he is being allowed is to play at Adriatic Golf Club Cervia this week because he has no outstanding fines or sanctions to deal with. The same circumstances allowed Thomas Pieters to play in his home event, the Soudal Open, last month where he finished tied for second.
Reed has also entered next week’s BMW International Open in Munich, Germany.
And organisers of this Italian week’s event have grouped Reed with last week’s brilliant KLM Open champ and Italian-born Guido Migliozzi for the opening two rounds.
