[Photo: David Cannon]
Prepared to pay more than $US1 million in fines to play on the DP World Tour in 2026, Patrick Reed put himself in position for a hefty deposit after taking the 36-hole lead at the Dubai Desert Classic.
Reed is a DP World Tour honorary life member. He carded a bogey-free 66 in round two at the Emirates Golf Club’s tricky Majlis course. At nine-under-par, he tops the leaderboard at the halfway mark of the $US9 million Rolex Series event. England’s Andy Sullivan is eight-under after a 65, while Francesco Molinari and Andrea Pavan sit at seven-under.
Former Masters champion Reed plays on LIV Golf and, along with fellow league members Tyrrell Hatton and Jon Rahm, could be subject to sanctions by the DP World Tour for playing in conflicting events once the LIV season begins next month.
A winner at LIV Golf Dallas last year, Reed said any potential sanctions were yet to be determined.
“Let’s [wait and] see… we haven’t played an event yet that we would be fined,” said Reed, who will have played three DP World Tour events before LIV Golf’s opening event in Saudi Arabia in two weeks.
“So, we don’t know really what it entails for this year. I mean, if it happens [that I’m] having to pay fines to play out here, so be it. I’m not going to allow that to deter me from showing support and playing on this tour. I’ve done it since I won the [2014] WGC [Cadillac event at Doral] and I don’t plan on stopping.”
The DP World Tour has been consistent in its fining of LIV players, with sanctions weighted based on whether each LIV event is in the same region and time zone as a DP World stop. The fines are higher when a LIV event runs against a flagship tournament on the DP World Tour, such as its prestigious Rolex Series.
Patrick Reed goes bogey-free on his second round👏
Reed has an excellent record at @EmiratesGC with a T10 finish in 2025 and solo second in 2023.#HeroDubaiDesertClassic | #RolexSeries pic.twitter.com/np8C0aFyv8
— DP World Tour (@DPWorldTour) January 23, 2026
Asked if he would need to earn roughly $US1 million on the DP World Tour to break even, Reed answered, “Oh, yeah.”
“That’s a really fluid one depending on how much it is because it also depends where the event is,” Reed added. “There’s so many different factors that go into it… I’d rather just tee it up and play, and [if it] costs me this, whatever, I’ll go play. Play well and it offsets.”
Winning the Dubai Desert Classic would certainly offset a year’s worth of sanctions, given the winner’s prize this week is $US1.5 million. “Exactly; go ahead and win early [in the season] and that will take care of it,” Reed joked.
The nine-time PGA Tour winner also reiterated comments he made to Australian Golf Digest and The Telegraph last week that the Returning Member Program is not something he has to consider given he does not meet the criteria of major winners since 2022. But hypothetically, if he did meet the criteria, he would consider it.
“You just never know. I’m not sitting in the board meetings,” Reed said. “I know they put ’22 out and really all I can do is continue playing golf. You know me, I love playing everywhere. If I had to play 45 weeks a year, I’d go out and do it just to say, ‘Hey, you can play all of them.’
“I’ve always enjoyed being out there on the PGA Tour, and if that opportunity ever comes whenever that is, you know, it will be a decision. But right now, that decision isn’t out there yet. For me, at this moment, I’m just kind of playing here and kind of my schedule is set, where everything was set going forward. Supposed to get to LIV in Riyadh in two weeks and tee it up. That was the plan all along. We’ll just have to wait and see.”
While he waits, there’s a lead at the Dubai Desert Classic to try and convert. Yesterday at Emirates Golf Club, the 35-year-old had a decent crowd following as he reeled off an eagle and four birdies.
“I always felt like the fans have really shown some great support with me over here, and I felt like the [DP World] Tour has as well,” Reed said. “Because of that, I’ve always come back. I love being that one American [who] comes over and tries to be a thorn in everyone’s side when all the Europeans are out playing. And hey, if I play like I’m supposed to, that will take care of the fines.”