Patrick Smith

By Joel Beall
Patrick Reed is going to give it a go.

The former Masters champ, who missed the first two events of the FedEx Cup Playoffs battling bilateral pneumonia in a Houston hospital, announced he will be playing in this week’s Tour Championship.

“Road Trip! Atlanta here we come!” Reed wrote on Twitter. “Really appreciated everyone’s prayers and well wishes. Excited to get back out there and give it my best shot this week.”

Despite not hitting a shot in the playoffs, Reed’s win at the Farmers Insurance Open along with five other top-10 finishes throughout the regular season were enough to advance him to East Lake. However, missing the first two stops has Reed in last place in the Tour Championship’s staggered scoring at even par (Patrick Cantlay, the leader, will begin at 10 under). This is the eighth straight season Reed has made it to the Tour Championship. His best finish at the event is T-8.

Reed’s participation in Atlanta also adds a wrinkle to the U.S. Ryder Cup team selection. Prior to the postseason Reed was in the running for the one of the final automatic qualifying spots for the American club and was considered a shoo-in for a captain’s pick. Uncertainty over his health and conditioning have now made Reed’s inclusion less certain. With U.S. captain Steve Stricker set to name his six captain’s picks at the conclusion of the Tour Championship, Reed has a chance to answer any questions regarding his playing ability post-illness.