It’s a question that every top professional golfer has to answer these days. Most people will address it quietly, but Patrick Reed faced the topic publicly on Wednesday at Mayakoba.
“Do you have a strong financial motivation?”
Because of the current crop of PGA Tour competitors, this is a timely question. It’s a question because of breakaway leagues, appearance fees, and the Saudi leadership’s big cash. It’s a valid point because the top players on the PGA Tour earn a lot of money, but they might easily earn even more.
Reed responded that someone in his situation — someone who has amassed a significant amount of wealth — has the freedom to give.
He explained, “I’m driven by prizes.”
Is money a consideration? He sneered at the suggestion.
“Trophies motivate me.” If you go out and play well, and do what you’re supposed to do on the golf course every week and have a chance to win, and you go out and win golf tournaments and trophies, the money will take care of itself.”
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SOUTHAMPTON, BERMUDA – OCTOBER 28: American Patrick Reed prepares to tee off during round one of the Butterfield Bermuda Championship at Port Royal Golf Course in Southampton, Bermuda on October 28, 2021. (Photo courtesy of Getty Images/Cliff Hawkins) )
Patrick Reed used to have a hard time choosing between PB&Js and steak.
Reed went on to say that he wouldn’t consider a guaranteed wage — the kind offered by most sports clubs, including the MLB and NBA, as well as several PGA Tour alternatives — as having a significant impact on his motives.
“It’s difficult to say,” he answered, pondering the possibility. “No. I can’t speak for the majority of the other players, but I’ve always been motivated by winning golf tournaments and having a chance on Sunday to experience the adrenaline rush that money can’t buy. When you’re coming down the final seven or eight holes with the possibility to win a golf tournament, you get your adrenaline pumping and your juices running. That’s what I live for.”
That wasn’t always the case, though. Although the competitive spirit was the same, the money was not. Reed, on the other hand, just crossed the $36 million barrier in PGA Tour earnings last week in Bermuda. That should be enough to alter your viewpoint.
Patrick Reed rarely, if ever, looks backwards, especially in front of a microphone. Why? It’s difficult to say for sure. He’s a public figure with a private life, and life is complicated, and some of his most difficult personal times have probably played out in the media. But, as he pondered money on Wednesday, we caught a glimpse of a wistful Reed, a side of the Masters champion that we rarely see.
Money was an issue for him back when he was pursuing slots in Monday qualifiers, before he had any PGA Tour status, he said. He admitted that when you’re not concerned about putting food on the table, it’s simpler to keep your eyes on the prize. However, performing properly takes care of everything in the end. At least, that’s the attitude he adopted.
