Outspoken LIV Golf star slams Open wreckage theory he's not having ahead of Portrush
Pumped-up Patrick Reed is adamant LIV stars' Open preparation isn't being damaged by being in Spain.
The American ace is amongst the 19 players on the Saudi-backed series who are spending their build-up competing in Valderrama.
While most of the game's elite are at the Genesis Scottish Open getting the ideal build-up for Royal Portrush on links turf, the LIV players are on different terrain in Spain.
It's a widely-held view that will leave them at a major disadvantage going into the big one in Northern Ireland, but Reed is having none of that chat.
The Ryder Cup star, who won the last LIV event in Dallas, said: 'Yeah, this golf course is different, but at the same time, this week the wind is supposed to blow, which at The Open Championship it's always windy and around a golf course like this you have to hit quality golf shots.
'You have to work the ball both ways and you have to start moving the ball in certain directions and at The Open Championship that's what you're doing the whole time. You're manipulating shots to work it into the wind or ride the wind or use the ground as your friend and not like back in the States where everything is just hit a ball up in the air.
'I feel like this place gets you in a good mindset on seeing a golf shot and hitting a golf shot like we're going to see next week.'
Reed hopes to deliver at Portrush knowing a Claret Jug success could land him a dream return to The Ryder Cup.
The LIV star doesn't have the ranking points to qualify automatically for Keegan Bradley's team at Bethpage, but victory in Northern Ireland will change the scene totally.
Reed knows it and said: 'It's a hard one to answer. I think it all comes down to next week at The Open. Obviously play well here, but go ahead and win the Open Championship and I believe I'd be inside the top six on points, so I think that would lock it in and allow me to be on the team.
'Really the next couple weeks I have to play some solid golf, go out and contend on Sundays, have a chance to win golf tournaments and, if I do that, then hopefully Keegan picks me. But at the end of the day, because we only get the majors that have points for the Ryder Cup, it's an uphill battle.
'The good thing is I feel like I'm in a good spot right now as long as I go out and play well in the final major.
'The game feels really solid. We feel ready to go. My biggest thing is when we're going into here is to really just stay patient. I know this course is challenging and it can really take it out of you, especially with ball-striking wise and trying to hit fairways around this place.
'For me really it's go out there and try to do the same thing I've done the past two times here, just a little better, so I can hold up the trophy again.'
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Mirror
10 minutes ago
- Daily Mirror
Lando Norris praises Scottie Scheffler after The Open winner's 'unfulfilled' comment
The Open Championship winner Scottie Scheffler caused a stir at Royal Portrush by claiming he is 'unfulfilled' by his extraordinary level of success at the top of the golf world Formula 1 title contender Lando Norris has spoken out in support of Scottie Scheffler after the golf superstar's eye-catching comments made at last weekend's The Open Championship. The American lifted the Claret Jug for the first time with a comfortable victory at Royal Portrush, winning by four strokes over nearest challenger Harris English. It was Scheffler's fourth Major win and 22nd professional tournament success, having dominated golf since his breakout year in 2022. He has now spent 150 consecutive weeks as the number one ranked golfer on the planet and is almost 300 points ahead of second-placed Rory McIlroy in the Official World Golf Ranking. Aged 29, Scheffler is already fourth on the list of all-time top earners from the PGA Tour, having won £67,725,863 in prize money alone during his relatively short career to date, and his trajectory has been compared to that of megastar Tiger Woods. Still, he made it clear when speaking to reporters at The Open that he feels there is something missing. Scheffler caught the eye by saying: "Look at this week, for example. What's the best-case scenario? I win this golf tournament, and then I'm going to show up in Memphis, and it's like, 'Okay, listen, you won two Majors this year, what are you going to do this week?' Sign up to our free weekly F1 newsletter, Pit Lane Chronicle, by entering your email address below so that every new edition lands straight in your inbox! "If I come in second this week or if I finish dead last, no matter what happens, we're always on to the next week. The show goes on. Sometimes the feeling of winning only lasts a few seconds. You work your whole life to celebrate winning a tournament for a few minutes. It only lasts a few minutes, that kind of euphoric feeling. "To get to live out your dreams is very special, but at the end of the day, I'm not out here to inspire the next generation of golfers. I'm not out here to inspire someone to be the best player in the world because what's the point? This is not a fulfilling life. It's fulfilling from the sense of accomplishment, but it's not fulfilling from a sense of the deepest places of your heart." While those comments drew surprised reactions from many, they resonated with Norris. The McLaren racer is also a keen golfer in his spare time and, like Scheffler, has been open about his mental health ever since he first burst onto the scene in F1 back in 2019. "I quite liked what Scottie said," said the Brit, reflecting on his own short-lived high after winning his home race, the British Grand Prix, for the first time two weeks ago. "I respect that he's quite honest about his whole feelings about everything. It's just honest about what he wants. Not everyone has to say what everyone believes in and what everyone thinks should be correct or not correct. "I'm happy that someone that high up, achieving what he's done, he's performing to the same level that Tiger did in many circumstances. And that's pretty amazing to see him come out and say something like that. So I respect that a lot. And I related to a lot of it in many ways, which is cool. "It's not a bad attitude, it's just his own way of achieving what he achieved. And I think you have to respect something like that. I found it, I admired that kind of thing. I love golf... I still support Rory more than anyone, the Brits. I thought it was fascinating and cool to see someone performing at such an incredibly high level come out and just say what he did."
Daily Mirror
40 minutes ago
- Daily Mirror
Gareth Ainsworth doubles down on Shrewsbury exit as Gillingham revolution takes shape
INTERVIEW: Gareth Ainsworth is relishing "the journey" he has embarked on with Gillingham, who he joined late last season following his shock departure from Shrewsbury Gareth Ainsworth has long been at peace with his shock call to quit Shrewsbury and now he's ready to rock Gillingham's world. The 'Wild Thing' - lead vocalist of The Cold Blooded Hearts - requires no introduction in EFL managerial circles. During 10-and-a-half years at Wycombe, his heavy-metal football yielded exceptional results, propelling Wanderers from the fourth tier of English football into the Championship. And following two short-lived spells in west London (with QPR) and Shropshire, he wants to run it back. Ainsworth said ahead of next week's League Two opener at Accrington Stanley: "I just want my players to feel like they belong to something. When we look at football, we're in a privileged position compared to other walks of life. "Gillingham's identify was getting a little bit muddled up with changes of personnel, both players and managers. We want to bring that identity back, this summer has been a big mental shift of the whole place." Ex-Shrewsbury midfielder Jamie Tolley accused Ainsworth of "promising the world but delivering nothing" when the 52-year-old left the New Meadow for Priestfield in March. But the long-haired gaffer makes no secret of the fact the ambitious pitch from Gillingham's American owners Brad and Shannon Galinson ignited the fire within. Ainsworth certainly knows how to get a place bouncing, his band's latest gig was just a few weeks ago in Soho, and he plans to front an electric Kentish revolution. When asked if he now feels pressure to vindicate his Shrewsbury departure, he said: "No, not at all. "Managers are restricted in what they can say with their contracts, I wish I could have said a lot more. "My justification for coming to Gillingham sits well with me, no problem at all. "I'm on a journey and I bought into the journey at Shrewsbury, I wish it went differently, it was a nice place to live. "People will laugh and say I'm not loyal but you've got the wrong guy, I don't need to prove anything to anyone." Ainsworth was such a coup for Gills, the bookies have them among the favourites for promotion. He isn't buying that, however, adding: "It's flattering but I don't know where the substance in that has come from. We haven't made £1million signings, we've signed three players. "Thank you but we're focusing on the journey, it's a two-year project centred around improving, the next level is way down the line for me." Ainsworth's ranks have been bolstered by the capture of ex-Burnley and Stoke City striker Sam Vokes and he's also optimistic he'll get Bradley Dack fit and firing. He continued: "We should be seen as underdogs, just like we were at Wycombe. Age is irrelevant to me, if you are good enough, you're good enough. If you look at the history of my success, it's come with experience. "Adebayo Akinfenwa, the partnership we had at Wycombe, Craig Mackail-Smith, Nathan Tyson, Marcus Bean, Sam Saunders, Joe Jacobson, Matt Bloomfield, the list is endless. "The owners have brought me in and told me to manage how I want. It was a really good move getting me in early so I could look over the team for the last few games [nine] of the season. "They just want success, they enjoy winning and the thrill of it - so that's what we're going to try and do."
Belfast Telegraph
an hour ago
- Belfast Telegraph
Mike Browne wins Race of Legends finale to seal Armoy four-timer
The Republic of Ireland rider is only the fourth winner of the blue riband Superbike race along with Ryan Farquhar, Michael Dunlop and Davey Todd. Browne also won the Open race for a big bike double and added another win in the Supersport race for a brace in the class on the BPE/Russell Racing Yamaha after opening his account on Friday. The Cork man left himself with work to do in the Race of Legends finale after fluffing his lines at the start on his new Honda. Browne was in fourth place on the opening lap but soon forced his way into contention as he chased after pole man and race leader Paul Jordan on the Jackson Racing Honda. He quickly passed Marcus Simpson and Michael Sweeney to pursue Jordan and was ahead of the Ulsterman by the end of lap three. Jordan had no answer as Browne set the fastest lap of the race at 106.898mph to pull away. He won by 4.313s from Jordan, with Sweeney (MJR BMW) holding off Conor Cummins (Burrows/RK Racing BMW) and Jamie Coward (KTS Racing BMW) to secure the final podium place in the final Irish road race of the year. Browne only rode the Honda for the first time at the Southern 100 earlier this month but has gelled quickly with the machine. 'Alistair (Russell) and the team done an awful lot of work the last two weeks because we just got that bike and we're trying to make it our own,' he said. 'We're still actually missing a few bits to finish it off but they done some job to get us on the grid even and turned the bike inside-out, and it was our second time on the bike so it's confidence going forward – it's a good bike.' Jordan held his hands up for a wrong tyre choice on the front of his Honda, with the Magherafelt rider choosing an intermediate. Some rain showers had left parts of the County Antrim course damp, but these dried out rapidly as the big race began. 'We went for the wrong tyre choice on the front which is my own fault,' Jordan said. 'To be honest, ten minutes before the start we were still on a wet set-up and fair play to the boys, the rear shock was out, and to get them a second is good.' The Open race was delayed after a rain shower but it made little difference to Browne, who never looked back after passing early pacesetter Sweeney. In tricky conditions, he went on to win the reduced six-lap race by almost nine seconds from Sweeney, while Jordan finished third on his 600cc Jackson Racing Honda machine. 'That was just a gamble with what set-up to use, with half dry, half wet (conditions),' said Browne. 'It was bone dry down to the village but then very wet at the last road end. 'It was very hard to work out and it was tough, but it was nice that everyone got around as well there because it was tricky.' Coward, Neil Kernohan (Yamaha) and Cummins were the top six. In the Supersport race, Browne came out on top once again but this time he was kept honest throughout by Jordan. The duo broke away from the rest of the field and although Jordan was able to keep in touch with Browne, the 34-year-old was unable to find a way past. Browne won by 0.523s, with third going to Sweeney on his Yamaha, who only just held off Coward on the KTS Macadam Racing Triumph for third. Cummins (Burrows/RK Racing Ducati) and Manx rider Joe Yeardsley (Yamaha) were fifth and sixth respectively. Jordan wrapped up a double in the Supertwin class on the Jackson Racing Aprilia, beating Barry Furber (DC Autos Yamaha) by 9.7s in a damp race. Sean Brolly, who plies his trade in the Support classes, excelled to take third on his Aprilia on corrected time ahead of Sweeney after starting in the second group. Kevin Lavery from Dungannon won the Junior Support race with Brolly taking victory in the Senior Support race. The Lightweight race was won by Barry Davidson while Chris Meyer held off Nigel Moore for victory in the Moto3/125GP race. Andy Farrell won the Classic Superbike race by 11.9s from Sam West.
