LIV Golf star to make first DP World Tour appearance since Rory McIlroy spat

LIV Golf star Patrick Reed will make his first DP World Tour appearances since his notorious “tee-gate” incident with Rory McIlroy.

The former Masters champ has received sponsors’ invites for the Italian Open and the BMW International Open, teeing off on June 27 and July 4.

The 33-year-old is on a mission to secure his spot in The Open Championship at Royal Troon next month, and victories in Italy could be his golden ticket, while a solid showing in Munich would give his Official World Golf Ranking a much-needed lift.

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Reed will not be the only LIV player in action in the BMW; he will be joined by fan-favourite Martin Kaymer and Thomas Pieters at the BMW at Munich’s Golfclub Munchen Eichenried.

Ranked 103rd in the world due to LIV Golf’s lack of ranking points, Reed is under pressure to perform if he wants to make it to Royal Troon. His last DP World Tour event was the 2023 Dubai Desert Classic, which was overshadowed by the spat with McIlroy, culminating in Reed’s cheeky tee flick towards the four-time major winner.

McIlroy had the last laugh, though, pipping Reed to the post by a single stroke. McIlroy won’t be joining Reed for his DP World Tour comeback, though. The Northern Irish golfer has decided to take a break from the sport following last week’s heart-wrenching U.S. Open conclusion.

McIlroy was leading Bryson DeChambeau by two shots with just four holes left, but three bogeys saw him lose by a single stroke at Pinehurst No. 2.

“Yesterday was a tough day, probably the toughest I’ve had in my nearly 17 years as a professional golfer,” McIlroy confessed in a Monday statement. “As I reflect on my week, I’ll rue a few things over the course of the tournament, mostly the 2 missed putts on 16 and 18 on the final day. But, as I always try to do, I’ll look at the positives of the week that far outweigh the negatives.”