Patrick Reed goes into this week's International Series Qatar in red-hot form having claimed a superb three-shot victory at the Link Hong Kong Open last week, and admits it was a big relief to finally get into double digits with a 'long overdue' 10th career win.
The 2018 Masters champion has had a number of near misses, with 10 top-five finishes since joining the LIV Golf League in 2022.
Last week he showed his undoubted talent on the famous Composite Course at Fanling, with the highlight being a sensational 11-under-par 59 in the third round of the storied tournament which was the first of three tournaments closing out The International Series and the Asian Tour season.
Going into this week's event, the penultimate event of the season which gets underway on Wednesday, Reed said: "That was huge. I have been trying to get that 10th win, get to double digits for a while now, and it has been frustrating, because I feel like the game's been there. I just haven't quite gotten over the line.
"My first two years out on LIV Golf I felt like I finished second, third and fourth, about 500 times, but never could get on the top so it feels great to come out and feel like the game was where it needed to be, and finally get to the 10th win. It felt like it was a long time overdue."
It will be Reed's first taste of Doha Golf Club, complete with notoriously tricky windy conditions. Having played the front and back nine since arriving on Monday, he said: “The golf course is in really good shape, and you have to hit fairways.
“With the rough, the ball never sits up. It always just figures out a way to get to the bottom. And so you know it is going to be crucial to hit the tee shot solid. Hit it straight. And you will have to control some iron shots.
"Because even though the greens are large, if you end up missing a green, it's just not really usually a good spot. So yeah, ball striking is key."
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Reed, who plays for 4Aces GC on the LIV Golf League, is now up to seventh on The International Series Rankings race.
Flanked by leader John Catlin and nearest challenger Ben Campbell for the pre-tournament press conference, he highlighted the top talent that is currently playing on the Asian Tour and The International Series, 10 elevated events which offer a pathway to LIV Golf.
He said: "For a guy from the States who's always played mainly on the PGA Tour, I didn't have those opportunities to come over and see what kind of talent is over here on the Asian Tour.
“And to come over here and see these guys playing and see the talent here, the talent and the strength of the field out here is just as good, even though the world rankings and that flawed system would say otherwise.
"Every time I come over, it's a battle. These guys hit it really well, fight really well. And you know, they are all as hungry as all of us are. And I think that's awesome. You have to be on your A game."
Referring to Catlin and Campbell, he said: "You have to take these two guys down, and if they're playing well, it's going to be a dog fight. So it's always fun coming over and playing against these guys."
The International Series is the most prized pathway in golf. It consists of 10 elite tournaments sanctioned by the Asian Tour and offers the year-long Rankings leader promotion to the LIV Golf League
