By Matt Smith
Patrick Reed has one thing on his mind this week in Jeddah — helping complete a 1-2 for his 4 Aces team in the LIV Golf Individual Championship.
The American looked on as his team captain Dustin Johnson secured the inaugural crown at Bangkok last week, and now he is eager to join him on the second step of the podium, and set up his team in the best possible way ahead of the season-ending Team Championship in Miami at the end of the month, where the 4 Aces are top seeds.
Reed is three points behind second-placed Branden Grace in the season-long individual points race, but — with the South African out injured — he could overhaul him with a good showing in the final individual event in Saudi Arabia.
“It’s always in the back of your mind,” Reed said on the sidelines of the LIV Golf Jeddah pro am on Thursday. “Anytime you play in any tournament, you’re always thinking about what results will do to certain things. Really the only thing this week is focus on each day and try to play good golf. If I go and I play well, that takes care of everything. It takes care of the team. It takes care of the individual.
“That’s just something that I’ve always preached to our team, when we’re out there, we’re not sitting there worrying about positioning, this, that and all that. You go out and play the best golf you can, and if you go out and play the way you’re supposed to, everything else will take care of itself.
“The guys on the team are really out there grinding and playing hard, not just for themselves but also for the team. I think that’s what’s so unique about the format. You used to always be going out playing for yourself. Now you’re playing for something bigger. You’re playing for three other guys (Johnson, Pat Perez and Talor Gooch). You’re playing for the other caddies. It just gives you a little bit more motivation to go out there and play well.
“Look at what DJ has done. As a captain, you’re supposed to lead your guys, and that doesn’t just come off the golf course. Also you have to lead the guys on the golf course. To sit here and already lock everything up before the last event, it just shows that he’s not only doing his job off the golf course, but he’s doing his job on the golf course. He’s leading by example playing well, and we’re all trying to do the exact same and kind of follow, and it would be awesome for me to go out and play well this week and have the Aces go 1-2.”
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