Patrick Reed makes unexpected Scotland decision as Rory McIlroy title race intensifies
The American has confirmed his first appearance at the Nexo Championship, with the Race to Dubai battle entering a crucial stage.
Patrick Reed has confirmed he will make his first-ever appearance at the Nexo Championship later this month, adding another key start to his Race to Dubai campaign as he looks to keep Rory McIlroy at bay.
The current Race to Dubai leader will tee it up at Trump International Golf Links in Aberdeenshire from 20-23 August for the first time in his career, with the tournament returning to the Scottish venue for a second consecutive year.
The 35-year-old American has enjoyed an outstanding season on the DP World Tour after winning the Hero Dubai Desert Classic in January before adding a second victory at the Qatar Masters just weeks later.
Reed also finished runner-up at the Bapco Energies Bahrain Championship and has recorded four more top-15 finishes, including a tie for 13th at last month's Genesis Scottish Open.
"I'm looking forward to getting back to Scotland and playing my first Nexo Championship," said Reed, an Honorary Lifetime Member of the DP World Tour.
"The Scottish fans always make for a great atmosphere.
"It will be exciting to play a quality course in Trump International Golf Links for the first time, and experience all that this event has to offer."
Reed joins defending champion Grant Forrest, three-time DP World Tour winner Ewen Ferguson and Aberdeen local David Law in the field for the concluding event of the Closing Swing, the fifth and final Global Swing on the 2026 Race to Dubai.
This year's tournament will also feature the inaugural Nexo Championship Celebrity Pro-Am on Wednesday 19 August, with a host of Scottish sporting stars from football, rugby and tennis already confirmed to take part.
Reed looking to extend Race to Dubai lead
Reed's decision to add another DP World Tour start could prove significant in the Race to Dubai standings.
The American currently holds a lead of more than 300 points over Masters champion Rory McIlroy, who is attempting to equal Colin Montgomerie's record of eight European Tour Order of Merit titles.
With Reed extending his schedule by committing to the Nexo Championship, here's how the Race to Dubai standings currently look heading into the final stretch of the season:
Pos | Player | Events Played | Race to Dubai Points |
|---|---|---|---|
1 | Patrick Reed | 13 | 2,860.92 |
2 | Rory McIlroy | 8 | 2,552.86 |
3 | Eugenio Chacarra | 19 | 2,188.19 |
4 | Casey Jarvis | 18 | 2,179.30 |
5 | Ryan Fox | 9 | 2,042.30 |
6 | Jayden Schaper | 18 | 2,014.09 |
7 | Aaron Rai | 5 | 1,876.50 |
8 | Andy Sullivan | 18 | 1,454.23 |
9 | Hennie du Plessis | 17 | 1,301.96 |
10 | Bernd Wiesberger | 19 | 1,298.52 |
The table highlights one of the key storylines in this year's title race: Reed vs McIlroy.
Reed has built his advantage by playing 13 counting DP World Tour events, while McIlroy has teed it up in just eight.
Although all four majors have now been completed, there are still 13 counting tournaments remaining on the 2026 DP World Tour schedule before November's season-ending DP World Tour Championship in Dubai.
A win in Scotland would further strengthen Reed's grip on top spot and hand McIlroy an even bigger challenge in his pursuit of a fifth consecutive Race to Dubai title and a record-equalling eighth Order of Merit crown.
Reed, meanwhile, is bidding to win the Race to Dubai for the first time in his career.
The former Masters champion committed to a full DP World Tour schedule this season after leaving LIV Golf at the end of 2025.
He was also suspended for a 12-month period on the PGA Tour as a result of his ties to the breakaway league.
But his PGA Tour suspension expires later this month, making him eligible to return to the American circuit from September.
Andy Roberts first joined GolfMagic on a month's work experience back in April 2011.
Andy then assumed the role of GolfMagic Editor in 2015.
