“Captain America!” roared the fans in Dallas, and that carried onto social media. Patrick Reed‘s win brought many together as they wanted only one thing: for him to be a part of Team U.S. at Bethpage. There were others who thought the idea was preposterous. One of them made it clear, “Absolutely NOT. PReed needs to stay on LIV and does not deserve a spot on the team. He won for the first time in 3 years.” While the golf world stands divided, we’re here to determine how realistic it is to consider Patrick Reed for the Ryder Cup 2025. So let’s explore the situation.
The first argument would be, how can Patrick Reed make it into the squad? With LIV Golf limiting his ability to get Ryder Cup points, he can only earn them through majors. He has earned quite a few points this year thanks to stellar runs in two out of the three majors so far. Reed finished solo third behind Rory McIlroy and Justin Rose in the 2025 Masters Tournament. He missed the cut in the PGA Championship. Then got a T23 finish in the U.S. Open a few weeks ago. Last year, the 34-year-old also had a T12 at Augusta National and a T53 in the PGA Championship.
Since Reed is not a DP World Tour member, he doesn’t get the opportunity to earn points in Europe. Hence, despite a great effort, he is still sitting at 31st, more than 7000 points away from the top of the Team U.S. Ryder Cup top 6. Even a win in the upcoming Open Championship will not help Patrick cover the deficit. But that would still be enough to catch attention. And that is all he has been trying to get ever since his win in LIV Golf Dallas 2025. Having said that, there are two ways he can make it to the Ryder Cup team. Let’s see where he stands in each of those scenarios.
On Merit: The most prestigious way to get picked in a Ryder Cup squad is by qualifying for the position on merit. Players can do so by accumulating enough points to finish in the top 6 of the Ryder Cup rankings for their specific team. As mentioned earlier, Reed is more than 7000 points away from Justin Thomas on the leaderboard. A win in the Open Championship can only push him up to the top 12 at best. That won’t be enough for him to make it to Bethpage on points.
Captain’s Pick: While winning at Royal Portrush won’t secure Reed’s position on merit, he will certainly grab the attention of team captain Keegan Bradley. He has already made the headlines by grabbing his first-ever LIV Golf win in Dallas a few weeks ago. But it won’t be as easy as it reads for Reed. Out of all the 4 majors, the Open Championship is the only one in which he has struggled to get a great result. He has five top-5 finishes in the American majors, but only one top-10 in Europe. The odds are definitely not in his favor in Northern Ireland.
Having said that, there are some things that do play out in Patrick Reed’s favor. Let’s find out what they are.
What gives Patrick Reed the upper hand?
Patrick Reed’s unique brand of golf has always helped him produce the most unique results. Even his win at Augusta National in 2018 was something no one saw coming. But he has proven himself to be a great competitor on challenging courses. The challenges of ANGC don’t seem to faze him as he has had three other top-10 finishes on the course. He also nearly captured the 2017 PGA Championship at Quail Hollow Club, only losing it Justin Thomas by 2 strokes. Reed is accustomed to performing in high-pressure situations and, despite his lack of titles, has still found enough success to prove his merit.
However, the biggest factor that makes Patrick Reed an excellent candidate is his Ryder Cup record. In his three appearances in the prestigious event, he holds a record of 7 wins, 3 losses, and 2 ties. The first time he was a part of Team U.S. in 2014, Reed won thrice and tied once. He and Jordan Spieth won twice and drew once. Reed beat Henrik Stenson in his solo match.
Reed & Spieth were paired up again in 2016, and they won their first match together. However, they were beaten in the four-ball contest the same day against Stenson and Justin Rose. They drew another and won their final match together before Patrick Reed beat Rory McIlroy in their singles bout. Both editions of the Ryder Cup saw Patrick Reed score 3.5 points for Team U.S. His last run in 2018 saw him beat Tyrrell Hatton in a solo contest. But he lost the other two team matches. Even then, the Texan was the best performer for the team in those 6 years.
Reed is also the best scrambler in LIV Golf in 2025. In a Tour that has the likes of Phil Mickelson, Dustin Johnson, and others, the 34-year-old ranks 4th in 9 tournaments. He is finding more greens in regulation, and his overall strokeplay has drastically improved. Reed has undoubtedly taken his game to the next level this year. Keegan Bradley should definitely consider taking complete advantage of that.
Patrick Reed is a #LIVGolf Champion—right in his home state of Texas.
There’s zero debate left: Reed belongs on the Ryder Cup Team.
He now becomes the 23rd different individual winner since LIV Golf’s inception. pic.twitter.com/3UsIK0Apd8
— LIV Golf Insider (@LIVTracking) June 29, 2025
But despite his tremendous record, there are a few aspects about Reed’s past that do not play in his favor. Let’s see what they are.
Potential reasons why Keegan Bradley wouldn’t consider him
Despite everything, the Team U.S. Captain will have a lot to be cautious about when it comes to Patrick Reed. Especially the baggage he carries along with himself. Over the years, Reed has developed a negative reputation due to several factors. His win in the 2018 Masters Tournament saw a lot of negative reactions. And he himself didn’t react too well in response to it. The crowd was expecting a McIlroy triumph or for the likes of Rickie Fowler or Jordan Spieth to rise to the occasion. But as Reed held his ground, the patrons in Georgia started acting out.
His win was overshadowed by the aspirations of his rivals on that day. He was perceived as a ‘villain’ in the story, an image that he has since grown comfortable with. However, the negative publicity that comes with that won’t please Bradley. Perhaps that was the reason Reed was not one of the potential candidates invited to the Team U.S. Ryder Cup dinner by the captain. However, his peers from LIV Golf, Bryson DeChambeau and Brooks Koepka, did make the list. Or maybe that’s just the case, Team U.S. has a lot of competition, and Patrick Reed can’t fill any spot.
Either way, there are too many pros and cons when it comes to Reed. However, Keegan Bradley also strongly believed that he deserved to be picked in the 2023 Ryder Cup squad. He was perfectly eligible for the team considering his own record. So if he is going off records, then he would give Reed a fair shot, considering his Ryder Cup stats and recent win in Dallas. However, the only issue that might arise would be with the dynamic.
Where does Patrick Reed fit in? Considering the 34-year-old’s strong stance against his teammates during his past Ryder Cup bouts, Bradley might put everyone on edge if he includes the LIV golfer in the team. Then again, if winning is the primary motive, Reed’s record will also give Team U.S. the confidence that they can expect at least a few points from him. Keegan Bradley will need to figure out how he can add the 4Aces GC player to Team U.S. without causing tension in the team.
The post Patrick Reed Wants In, but Does Ryder Cup Still Want Him? appeared first on EssentiallySports.
