Patrick Reed admits he has legacy on his mind as he comes into the Masters Tournament in fine form and atop the Race to Dubai Rankings Delivered by DP World.
As a winner of this event in 2018 and a talismanic figure for the United States in his Ryder Cup appearances, Reed is a player who would already leave a legacy if he were to retire tomorrow.
But as he drives down Magnolia Lane with two wins, a second and another top ten in his last five starts, inside the top 25 on the Official World Golf Ranking and with four top tens in his last six Masters starts, his chances of winning a second Green Jacket may never have been higher.
Couple that with a busy planned schedule on the DP World Tour that could put him right in the mix for the Harry Vardon Trophy and his place in the game’s history could look very different at the end of 2026 than it did at the start.
“I think we're always thinking about our legacy,” he said. “We always go out there and try to improve, not just on the golf course but as a person and outside the golf course.
“I obviously want to be known as a player that's just not a guy that plays at one spot. I've always wanted to be a worldwide player, play around the world, play on all the tours.
“To have that opportunity to come back and spend time with the family, at this point of my career I obviously want to go out and play as many golf tournaments as I can and hopefully still shoot to win all the Majors.
“Really I want to be known more for what I do off the course, for the stuff at home, the father that I am, the husband I am, rather than just the golfer. Everybody knows I can play golf.”
While famed for his short game, Reed said after his wins at the Hero Dubai Desert Classic and Qatar Masters that it was getting away from a reliance on that that was key to his recent form.
He reiterated that belief while facing the press at Augusta National and is confident his game is in a good place to contend again.
“I think the biggest thing is it's one of those places where you have to stay patient,” said Reed, who believes up to 12 players could have a chance of winning this week. “It's one of those golf courses where I always try to press and this golf course is exactly what golf is. You have to stay in the present. You have to stay patient and believe in yourself.
“I feel like anytime I get here, I get out of being that robot and just kind of be creative, hit golf shots and play golf and kind of what you see. Because of that, it's one of those places that I love to come every year.
“I always feel really good coming in. It's one of these things that, being the first Major, you always try to come in and obviously be in great form, but it's very easy to kind of put too much pressure on yourself being the first Major.
“The first time I actually kind of decided just to let go and play golf was 2018 and that got the job done.
“That being said, that's what I plan on doing. I try it every time I play Majors, I try to treat it like another event. It definitely is a special place. Driving up Magnolia Lane, you always sit there and you always feel really good driving in, especially as a past champion. But hopefully we can make some more memories. The one jacket is getting a little lonely. Might need one more.”
Reed may be playing on home soil this week but his current status means his opportunities to play competitively in the United States for the rest of 2026 will be limited.
The Texan, however, sees that as an opportunity rather than a burden after recently playing in South Africa – the 20th country in which he has competed on the DP World Tour.
“I think the biggest thing is just appreciating the sport, appreciating the different cultures and different places,” he said.
“I'm the type that, when I travel, everyone kind of gets their creature of habit and wants to eat what they're comfortable and go, but I like checking out all the local places and really experiencing the culture.
“With having the opportunity to be able to play worldwide and be a worldwide player, to really dive in and experience the cultures, experience the different cuisines, different areas, different places, it's something that's true to me and it's a reason I love traveling and playing worldwide.”
