Patrick Reed’s BMW PGA Championship campaign came to a dramatic end at Wentworth after the Race to Dubai leader was forced to withdraw during the second round with an apparent wrist injury.
Reed arrived at the flagship DP World Tour event in strong form after finishing runner-up at the Amgen Irish Open and holding a sizeable lead over Rory McIlroy in the Race to Dubai standings.
He opened with an impressive 4-under 68 on Thursday and was just a few shots off the lead. But Friday quickly turned into a nightmare.
The American opened his second round with a triple bogey before adding two double bogeys and further dropped shots. He eventually reached the turn nine over par for the day, leaving him five over for the tournament.
The situation became even more concerning on the ninth hole when Reed appeared to injure himself while trying to escape from trouble. Reports indicated that he may have struck a root or another object, with the club coming out of his hands as he immediately showed signs of pain. He was seen flexing his left wrist and shoulder before attempting to continue.
After hitting his tee shot on the 10th, however, Reed decided he could not continue. He swapped cards with his playing partners and was taken away from the course in a buggy.
The withdrawal came just one day after Reed had expressed frustration despite his opening 68.
“I’m frustrated to say the least,” Reed said after Thursday’s round.
He explained that his ball-striking had been strong but that he had struggled to convert enough of his opportunities on the greens.
“The game’s there, it’s steady, it’s where it needs to be. Yeah, just need to go out there and make a few more putts.”
Reed had also spoken openly about how important winning the Race to Dubai would be to him.
“It would mean a lot,” he said.
“I’ve always prided myself as being an American that consistently comes over and shows support to this tour. But to also be able to go ahead, a Race to Dubai win would mean a lot.”
Now, his immediate focus is likely to be recovering from the injury and determining its severity.
The withdrawal is particularly significant because Reed has led the Race to Dubai since February and was hoping to become only the second American to finish the season as European No. 1.
Rory McIlroy now has an opportunity to gain ground on Reed in the season-long race, while the extent of Reed’s injury remains the major question following his sudden departure from Wentworth.
