PGA Championship contender Patrick Reed on bombshell LIV Golf news: "Utterly surprised"

Patrick Reed claimed he had no idea LIV Golf were going to encounter funding issues after making an excellent start to the PGA Championship. 

The 35-year-old American spent four years with the breakaway tour and was expected to sign a contract extension before their 2026 season began. 

But the American announced in January after winning the Dubai Desert Classic he was going to re-join the PGA Tour alongside major multiple winner Brooks Koepka. 

Reed is yet to make his first PGA Tour start as he wasn't eligible for the returning member programme Koepka took advantage of. 

But his decision appears to have turned out to be a shrewd one as LIV Golf's financiers, Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund, have confirmed they are no longer going to finance the venture after the conclusion of their 13-event campaign. 

LIV are currently working on securing new investment but it seems hard to believe that their prize purses will remain at $30m in 2027. The Athletic have previously reported the league are burning through $100m a month as things stand. 

Conservative estimates suggest the PIF have spent at least $5.3bn so far. 

"I had no idea that was going to come about," Reed told reporters at Aronimink in Pennsylvania after firing a two-under 68 to sit one stroke adrift of the lead. 

Reed insisted that his decision to leave was down to how he felt on the golf course.

"I [wanted] to get that feeling back, going out there and playing, having those ups and downs and that traditional type of golf where you're the last man standing on the range. 

"It had nothing to do with that. I was utterly surprised."

Reed said he hoped that if LIV doesn't survive that their players will get opportunities elsewhere. 

"Whatever their future is, whether it's on DP Tour, try to get back to PGA Tour or wherever they're playing, hopefully [they can] continue to play solid golf and go out there and do what they do."

Reed was the only player to play the first 18 holes of the second men's major of the year without a bogey. 

He has not played in an official event since the 2026 Masters. Once again, the former green jacket winner equipped himself well at Augusta National, firing rounds of 69-69-72-73 to finish in a share of 12th. 

Reed said he considered throwing in another event into his schedule, but opted against doing so. 

"Once the U.S. Open gets here, it's going to be hot and heavy," Reed said. "I'll be going overseas and playing a lot of those tournaments. It was kind of one of those that I didn't want to play too many early on and kind of wear myself out before the majors."

World number one Scottie Scheffler shared the lead on three-under after 18 holes of the PGA Championship. 

Alex Smalley, Aldrich Potgieter, Stephan Jaeger and Min Woo Lee also posted 67s. 

South Africa's Garrick Higgo would've led by two had he not been penalised two strokes for arriving late to his tee time. 

Masters champion Rory McIlroy was among those to struggle, labouring to a 74 with an outburst of anger that will also likely see the Northern Irishman issued with a code of conduct warning. 

Chile's Joaquin Niemann and Cameron Smith led the LIV Golf leaderboard, posting respective 69s. 

Bryson DeChambeau faces a battle to make the cut after an off-colour 76. 

The 31-year-old is refusing to speak to the media this week, according to Sky Sports. 

Keep checking GolfMagic for all the latest updates from the 2026 PGA Championship.