The Loop
Don't look now, but Patrick Reed is close to becoming a top-5 golfer in the world
You might've thought Patrick Reed's "top-5 player" self-declaration was absurd. Maybe it was then. Now, not so much.
After a runner-up at last weekend's Hero World Challenge, Reed is inside the top 10 in the world rankings for the first time in his career. Remember, the 25-year-old has four PGA Tour titles; only Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson, Sergio Garcia, Rory McIlroy and Jordan Spieth have done that in the last 25 years.
As of late, Reed has been been on a tear. He stayed in Asia after the Presidents Cup, then competed in the Race to Dubai events as a part-time European Tour member, racking up strong performances along the way:
As our Tim Rosaforte reported in October, Reed is working on his swing with college coach Josh Gregory. Looks like the work is paying off.
After Reed's win at Doral in 2014, the top-5 label seemed bold. Sure, Reed was playing sound golf. But after such a sample size, it took others aback.
In 2015, that dream is close to a reality.