How quickly the spotlight shifts in golf’s hallowed grounds. Seven years ago, Patrick Reed was the man of the moment. The Green Jacket was draped proudly over his shoulders. His name is etched in Augusta’s rich history. Yet time marches on, and narratives change with surprising speed. Fast forward to the 2025 Masters, and Reed finds himself in an unfamiliar position. Not as the center of attention. Not as the player everyone’s watching. But rather, as the overlooked former champion quietly climbs the leaderboard.

When asked in Saturday’s post-round press conference if he felt under the radar despite being a past champion, Reed’s response was telling. “I would say a little bit,” he acknowledged with characteristic candor. Then came his revealing admission about life in the competitive shadows: “I don’t mind flying under the radar and having a chance.” Reed elaborated on his position behind bigger names. “With Rory playing the way he’s playing and at the same time with Scottie coming in and being defending champion, everyone is focusing so much on those two,” he explained.

Scheffler finished T6, having put 5-under after 54 holes, whereas McIlroy gave a beautiful display, having shot 2 eagles, which is a tied record for number of eagles in a single round in major history. Yet Reed seems perfectly content with this arrangement. His game has been steadily improving each day at Augusta. After rounds of 71-70-69, he sits tied for fifth at 6-under par. Instead of seeking the spotlight, Reed is focused solely on his game. “My biggest thing is just keep plugging along,” he added.

Reed’s position in the field reflects the current reality of professional golf. As one of just 12 LIV Golf players in the Masters field, his achievements have received less mainstream coverage. His recent T7 at LIV Golf Miami preceded his arrival at Augusta, where the focus has remained firmly on PGA Tour stars.

The stats back up Reed’s assessment that his game is improving daily. After opening with a 1-under 71 where he criticized his putting, saying he “putted like a blind man,” Reed improved to a 70 in round two. His Saturday 69 showed marked improvement, particularly with the putter.

Reed’s measured approach aligns with his successful strategy at Augusta. “You have to know where to leave it on every hole, have a good game plan, but you have to execute,” he explained in his press conference. This disciplined mindset has proven effective, with Reed hitting 85.7% of fairways and 66.7% of greens in regulation through three rounds.

Reed’s ball-striking has been exceptional, hitting 85.7% of fairways and 66.7% of greens in regulation. Only his putter has prevented a higher position on the leaderboard. “The putter the first few days was as cold as it’s been in a long time,” Reed admitted. Saturday brought improvement: “Today it felt like the putter was there.”

While Reed now flies under the radar, his history at Augusta provides context for why he shouldn’t be overlooked heading into Sunday’s final round.

Patrick Reed’s history at Augusta and his previous Masters victory

Reed’s remarkable comfort on these treacherous grounds isn’t accidental. His collegiate career at Augusta State University provided intimate knowledge of the area’s unique conditions. This local knowledge helped him secure the 2018 Green Jacket with an impressive 15-under-par performance.

That victory was part of Reed’s consistent excellence at Augusta. In 11 Masters starts, he’s finished in the top 12 five times in the past seven years. But his fondest Augusta memory isn’t actually about winning. According to Fried Egg Golf, what stuck with Reed was a moment after the ceremony when his daughter Windsor-Wells said, “Daddy, you did it. I love you.” Reed has shared that “that memory, as a father… I just melt. That was the best memory ever at Augusta.“

His 2018 performance revealed Reed’s unique relationship with pressure. Despite making a bogey on the first hole, he maintained remarkable composure throughout Sunday’s round. “I was just trying to execute every single golf shot and play golf,” Reed recalled of that day. Now facing another Sunday at Augusta, Reed believes he’ll need to break his personal-best final round of 68 to have a chance. With McIlroy’s commanding lead, the climb is steep. But as Reed demonstrated in 2018, never count out the player who thrives in Augusta’s shadows.