Patrick Reed plays in the final non-Augusta Major of his five-year exemption that he received for winning the 2018 Masters, with the LIV Golf player potentially facing a difficult route to make it back into the other three Majors via the world rankings.
The Texan, speaking after his opening 70 (-1) on Thursday at The Open, said the Official World Golf Ranking is "a messed up system", while admitting that he isn't thinking about his Major exemption running out.
Reed is in The Masters for life after his victory at Augusta National five years ago and will hope to make a significant rise up the rankings with a good performance this week at Hoylake, but as things stand his next opportunity to earn points after this week - until the LIV Golf League gets them - will be at Augusta in April.
"Not at all," Reed said on whether his Major exemptions running out was on his mind.
"World Ranking is a messed up system as everyone knows. I don't even look at the World Ranking system.
"But really just go out and play well this week and see what happens. Like I said, winning takes care of everything. You've got to win this week, and it takes care of, what, five years? Five-year exemption into all the Majors, even though I already have - yeah, then I already have Augusta. Hopefully we go out and play well there.
Reed also spoke in-depth to reporters after his first round at Royal Liverpool of his desire to return to playing on the DP World and PGA Tours - if he is allowed. He is suspended from the PGA Tour after joining LIV Golf and cannot tee it up on the DP World Tour, where he is an Honorary Life Member, without sanctions and fines for playing LIV events.
That all could soon change, though, following the recent shock agreement between the PGA Tour and Saudi Arabian Public Investment Fund.
"I've always wanted to play and keep my European Tour status. I'm an honorary lifetime member. I take pride in that," he said.
"PGA Tour, yeah of course I'd love to play. The first year of LIV I would have played the minimum - I already played the minimum on the PGA Tour. I have played every event on LIV and I would have played the minimum on the European Tour. I was that one guy when they said no one can play all three. Well, I did it. Shocker.
"But that's the thing. Where I play, who knows. If I play PGA Tour, LIV, or if I played European Tour LIV. The biggest thing is there should be no reason why if we've qualified well we shouldn't be able to.
"People say you can't make your cake and eat it, as well, but how many PGA Tour players go over and play a European Tour for money? They're getting appearance fees. They're not showing up to play for competition. They're getting paid to do that.
"It shouldn't matter as long as you play the minimum and do what you're supposed to, you play, and that's fine. If you play the minimum on the European Tour and you earn enough points to keep your card, you should be able to play.
"If you play the minimum on the PGA Tour and you have enough FedExCup points to keep your card, more power to you. That's kind of how I look at it.
"If you've qualified and you've earned your right to play, you should be able to play.
"Now, sponsor exemptions, everything like that, I don't expect handouts. None of us do. None of us expect a handout or a sponsor exemption, like oh, I should have been able to play there because of a sponsor exemption. No.
"If you've earned the right to play and you have earned enough points and play enough events there should be no reason why you can't play anywhere."
