Four years have passed since Patrick Reed, giddy with excitement following a World Golf Championship success in Florida, declared himself a world top-five golfer. Oh, how they laughed. Who does he think he is?
In April, Reed delivered on that promise in emphatic style. Rory McIlroy was among those who could not keep pace with the Texan as he marched towards Masters glory. “The best thing about that is I get to go back every year now,” says Reed. “When I am 70 years old, I’ll be able to have my grandchildren caddie for me in the par-three contest.”
History tells us how unwise it would be to discard Reed’s next ambition as improbable. “It would mean a lot to win another major,” he explains. “But you are either a major champion or you are not. Then you are a career grand slam champion. Those are the two bars.
“I want to win them all. My goal is to have the career grand slam at some point in my life. There is nothing better than the Claret Jug, though. I would love to take it home. It means a lot to me. The history behind it and winning at a place that is so different from home would mean a lot. That would mean you have full control of your game. It basically means you can play on and win on anything.”
Reed’s bid for stage two and the most iconic trophy in golf starts in Carnoustie on Thursday. He is rightly regarded as one of the favourites. Masters success was sandwiched between a second in last year’s US PGA Championship and fourth at the recent US Open. Nobody has performed as well as Reed over the same major span.
“It means I’m confident that, if I put myself in position, I have a chance to win,” he says. “The nerves were definitely more settled at the Masters because of what I did at the PGA. Once I was able to close out Sunday at Augusta, it felt like I had no pressure at the US Open. I know I can do it, which eases the mind and lets me just play golf.”
Reed’s focus has been essential. Perhaps only Tiger Woods has encountered such a scale of headlines associated with his personal life on winning a major. The reality is Reed’s relationship with his estranged parents is both nobody else’s business and mysterious in circumstance. The 27 year old has no willingness to address the matter, as is entirely his prerogative. “I’m busier now,” he adds. “I feel the same when I go to the course and play. But I have to manage my time a lot better.
“Before, I could get away with hanging out and talking to some people at the course. Now I’m grinding 24-7. I don’t have a lot of free time. Which is a great problem to have. I’m the guy who gets to the course, puts on the headphones and goes to practise. Once I get my work done, I have all the time in the world for fans and media. But inside the ropes, I’m grinding.”
Reed is articulate and engaging. Speaking on Friday at the Scottish Open, ire at a “piss poor” performance soon dissipated. There was, however, a strong rebuke towards any sense Reed’s targets have altered since he added a Green Jacket to his wardrobe.
“My standards have always been ridiculously high, even before I won the Masters,” he says. “I show up to win golf tournaments, not make cuts or finish top 10. If I don’t do it, it’s a bad week. I don’t feel any more expectation because I’m a major champion. I go out to play golf for myself and my family. I play as hard as I can. I never quit. Whatever happens, happens but I don’t feel any heightened expectations. I feel like I can win every week.”
Reed will not have encountered an Open such as the one this week. Scorched Carnoustie fairways have been likened to airport runways – the Masters champion hit a seven-iron 295 yards on a scouting trip last week – with the forecast levels of pre-tournament rain unlikely to make much of a difference. Reed’s links alliance was formed when he won the 2006 Junior Open at Heswall.
“Carnoustie is a great course,” says Reed. “It’s ridiculously firm and fast. A lot will depend on the wind. If the prevailing breeze blows, I will probably only hit one driver per round. The ball is going miles. So you have to put it in play. You have to know where you can run out and where you can’t.I enjoy the different questions we get asked over here. There are, like, 10 different ways you can hit every shot.
“They were watering the rough. It was nasty in some areas. But in others it was a little thin. It gives us a chance but the water will make it a little healthier and thicker. If they were doing what they were doing to get the rough to where it is supposed to be, it will be nasty.”
Reed will inevitably embrace the challenge. It would be a surprise if he doesn’t supply one of his own.
