There’s plenty of friction between Rory McIlroy and Patrick Reed. One prime example is the 2023 ‘Tee Gate’ incident, when McIlroy, upset with Reed’s subpoena (which was not specifically directed at him), refused to shake Reed’s hand at a driving range. Upset, Reed threw a tee in his general direction. But years later, things seem to smooth out, especially when it concerns two other Masters champs.
During a press conference at Augusta, Reed said of Tiger Woods‘s and Phil Mickelson‘s absence from the Champions Dinner, “Let’s be honest, without Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson in the events, in golf, when they both step away, honestly I feel it hurts the game of golf, but at the same time, we want them to come back and be healthy and ready to go.”
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It was the same sentiment that McIlroy showed a day ago. “Unfortunately, there will be a couple of guys that won’t be in that room, which is a shame. But I want to make sure that they’re acknowledged as well. They’ve been two of the greatest champions that the Masters has ever seen.”
The Champions Dinner will be held on Tuesday, with the champions served McIlroy’s menu. However, Mickelson and Woods are cornerstones of the historic Masters tradition, which dates to the early 1950s, and their absence will be felt. Woods is a five-time Masters winner, while Mickelson has won it three times.
They’ve attended the Champions Dinner since 1997 and 2004, respectively, yet this year marks the first time both will miss Augusta together since 1994. Considering the attention and the flair they bring to golf, Reed’s and McIlroy’s assessments are not wrong. But there’s a reason behind their respective absences, something that Reed acknowledged.
“With Tiger, I think everyone is probably in the same boat, that they’re just very grateful that he’s okay and that everyone else that was involved is okay. Hopefully, he’s able to kind of get a speedy recovery and get back here to golf as fast as he can,” Reed stated in the same press conference. Other pros, including Bubba Watson, have shared a similar wish for Woods.
Woods was arrested in Florida after a two-car rollover crash, and deputies discovered two hydrocodone pills in his pocket. Later, the champ indefinitely stepped away from golf and is reportedly seeking addiction treatment in Switzerland for painkillers. And a “personal health matter” in his family caused Mickelson to withdraw from the Masters last week.
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McIlroy’s and Reed’s rivalry ignited at the 2016 Ryder Cup, where the American won in one of the event’s all-time great singles matches. He topped the Northern Irishman once more in 2018 by denying him the Masters win. In retaliation, McIlroy one-upped Reed at the
Reed is taking steps to improve this history, for instance. Regarding the aforementioned incident in 2023, Reed joked he is willing to offer McIlroy a few tee gates to throw back at him to break the ice. Meanwhile, McIlroy has commented on Reed’s desire to return to the PGA Tour, including saying that “it’s a great thing for the Tour.” In that same vein, Reed again expressed his intentions to return.
Patrick Reed on why he wants to return to the PGA Tour
“When you look at it, the best players in the world and the deepest fields from top to bottom are on the PGA Tour. I’ve played, now, every tour. I’ve played on every single one of them,” Patrick Reed stated on Monday at Augusta National.
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According to the American pro, it all started on a practice range during a DP World Tour event, when he realized he wanted to compete not just against himself but others, too. Mostly, he wanted to play traditional golf, which, admittedly, no one does better than the PGA Tour. “For me, I wanted that back, I wanted that adrenaline back, and those feelings,” he added.
A day later, he won the Hero Dubai Desert Classic and is very likely to return to the Tour post-fall.
Reed’s surprising departure from LIV Golf two months ago came with a clear aim: returning to the PGA Tour. However, with that path blocked until the fall slate, he has been forced to grind on the DP World Tour to stay competitive, making stops in Dubai, Bahrain, Qatar, and even two trips to South Africa.
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