Patrick Reed has a message for his rivals at Augusta. The 2018 champion believes his game is back to its best. In fact, the confidence in his form led Reed to make a bold statement.

On arrival in Georgia, Patrick noted his success in the tournament and the desire to add to his list of accolades.

In the pre-tournament press conference, Reed made it clear that he is coming for Rory McIlroy's Green Jacket. "The one jacket is getting a little lonely. Might need one more," said the 2018 Masters winner.

His form heading into the event can be attributed to his success at the start of this year on the DP World Tour, including two wins in Dubai and Qatar.

Reed believes international travel has refined his skills, having competed in 28 countries since 2022. "I think that's just going to help me when I come back and play against these guys," he remarked during the interview.

He has also focused heavily on his physical conditioning during a recent three-week break from competition. Being able to spend more time with his family and kids has given him a necessary recharge ahead of the Masters.

Reed Reflects on Defending the Title and Tiger’s Absence

The 2018 winner stressed that he is no longer completely dependent on his short game skills to get him out of trouble. "Rather than leaning on the short game to save me, now I use it as a weapon because I hit the ball better," he explained.

Reed further elaborated on his excitement to return to the PGA TOUR. "I really just kind of was sitting back and realizing that I wanted to get back and not only join -- have an opportunity back on the PGA TOUR, but get back to the traditional way of golf and playing," he said.

Speaking about the tournament's environment, Reed noted the absence of previous champions such as Tiger Woods. "Let's be honest, without Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson in the events, in golf, when they both step away, honestly I feel it hurts the game of golf," he noted.

Recalling the unique experience of defending his title seven years ago, Reed pointed out that although he had four top-10 results since then, even a third-place finish last year, he had never felt underestimated as a past winner.

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Written by

Abhishek Sharma

Edited by

Sagnik Bagchi