Patrick Reed, who recently recovered from pneumonia, shot 2-over 72 in the first round of the Tour Championship. He made four bogeys and two birdies in his first round after nearly a month. Meanwhile, Reed feared for life two weeks ago when he was hospitalized for double pneumonia in the Houston area.
Reed had planned some time off to get healthy after injuring his ankle. But then he was also diagnosed with pneumonia in both his lungs. After being hospitalized, he missed the Northern Trust and then the BMW Championship. However, he still managed to qualify for the Tour Championship and decided to participate in the event.
“I’m just getting stronger every day” – Patrick Reed
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In the post-round interview at the East Lake Golf Club, Reed opened about his experience of staying in the hospital. “I went in Thursday of NORTHERN TRUST,” Reed said. “It felt like I was in there forever. I think I was in there for five or six days.”
Furthermore, when asked whether his life was in danger, Reed, without any hesitation, answered. “Oh, yeah,” he said. “No, first couple days they were sitting there telling me that make sure you text your family quite a bit, talk to your family because you just don’t know. I mean, this is not good. We’re not in a good spot right now.”
Meanwhile, after recovering, they gave Patrick Reed a green signal to play at the Tour Championship. However, they advised him to avoid air travel as the cabin pressure can create problems for his lungs. Reed played the first round and felt optimistic about his health.
“I’m just getting stronger every day,” he said. “I look forward to tomorrow going out and hopefully continuing to hit fairways. I hit 10 fairways today, and if I continue doing that and playing from the short grass out here, we’re going to start dialing in the irons and keep the short game sharp and make some putts.”
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Moreover, he then concluded by summarizing his first round. “My energy was OK. My speed is not there yet, obviously, said Reed. Where I really notice it is a kind of on iron shots and on setting up and having to hit an exact number, it just seemed to be a hair-off. But the good thing is my short game didn’t leave me.”
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Furthermore, it will be interesting to see whether Steve Stricker selects Patrick Reed for the upcoming Ryder Cup keeping his health and form in mind.
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