"It was hilarious. I guess I need to grab a handful (of tees) and break the ice. Go up to him like that, and maybe he needs to throw one at me." Patrick Reed said, speaking to Martin Dempster of The Scotsman.

Patrick Reed’s comment was a reference to the “Tee Gate” moment involving Rory McIlroy at the 2023 Hero Dubai Desert Classic.

Back in 2023, Reed walked up to McIlroy on the practice range and offered a handshake, but McIlroy declined. Following that, a tee was flicked, symbolizing the divide between PGA Tour loyalists and LIV Golf players.

But Reed has since suggested that he wants to move on from that episode. The incident was, in all probability, a reaction of the then ongoing tension between the two.

The Subpoena

In 2022, McIlroy was subpoenaed as part of legal disputes tied to a defamation case involving Reed’s camp and claims that the PGA Tour worked with the DP World Tour to discourage players from moving to LIV Golf. 

That case later lost momentum when a judge granted the PGA Tour’s motion to dismiss in late 2024. At the time, McIlroy’s relationship with Reed was clearly strained, with the subpoena and Reed’s LIV move both adding to the tension. 

This year, though, the mood appears different, and so does the leaderboard. Reed has been out in front after three rounds at the 2026 Hero Dubai Desert Classic, while McIlroy is well off the pace.

Off the leaderboard, Reed is also dealing with the possibility of DP World Tour fines linked to his LIV Golf status, with the total this season projected to reach $1 million.

Patrick Reed Could Face Up to $1 Million in DP World Tour Fines

Patrick Reed could be fined because he plays on LIV Golf, and the DP World Tour can penalise players who take part in LIV-linked events or play without getting the required permission.

The first fines are expected when the LIV Golf season starts, beginning with the opener in Riyadh.

The fines come from the DP World Tour, and they would apply around the time LIV events start, even though Reed is currently in Dubai for the Hero Dubai Desert Classic.

DP World Tour issues financial penalties per breach/event. If Reed keeps playing under those conditions across the season, the total could add up to around $1 million.

“If it happens that I’m having to pay fines to play out here, so be it,” Reed said on Friday in Dubai, according to Golf Digest’s Evin Priest. “I’m not going to allow that to deter me from showing support and playing on this tour.”

What’s your take on Reed vs McIlroy?

Written by

Aditi Singh

Edited by

Joyita Das