By Bernie McGuire in St Andrews.
A Versailles hotel bed related back injury has ruled former Masters champ Patrick Reed out of this week’s 21st anniversary hosting of the Alfred Dunhill Links.
Reed picked-up the injury last week, citing a ‘too soft’ mattress in his Versailles hotel room where he was staying for the Cazoo French Open.
The injury was reflected in the Texan’s scores of 73 and 72, missing the halfway cut with a three-over tally. Reed posted seven birdies but also five bogeys, a double-bogey and a second-round 13th hole triple bogey.
Reed said: “The mattress was just too soft for me. I played well in the pro-am but the pain in my back was getting worse.
“It’s disappointing as I was looking forward to coming back to France after being there for the Ryder Cup.”
Reed returned home to the States over the weekend and advised Tour officials he was reluctantly withdrawing from this week’s $5m Scottish event.
He said: “I first played the Dunhill Links back in 2011. It was my first European Tour event, so that’s another event I was looking forward to playing.”
His withdrawal this week on the back of missing the cut in France has seen Reed drop six places on the Race to Dubai money list, with the leading 60 to qualify for the season-ending DP World Tour Championship.
Reed’s misfortune is Germany’s Marcel Siem bonus as he moves into the field for a 14th showing in the pro-am format event, and with his best finish of a T9th on his debut in 2004.
Four Irish will tee-up in Scotland headed by World No. 2 Rory McIlroy, recent BMW PGA champ Shane Lowry, Pádraig Harrington winner of the event in 2002 and 2006, and Jonathan Caldwell.
Leave a comment