‘I respect him’ – Rory McIlroy impressed by arch rival golfer after career U-turn

Rory McIlroy heaped praise on long-time rival Patrick Reed following the American’s withdrawal from the BMW PGA Championship through injury.

McIlroy is well positioned after posting a five-under-par round of 67 at Wentworth, leaving him eight under and four shots behind leader Ryan Gerard.

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A strong weekend for the double Masters champion could see McIlroy claw back Reed’s healthy advantage at the top of the DP World Tour standings in the Race to Dubai and set up a thrilling showdown.

And that would provide the Northern Irishman with a huge boost in his quest to equal Colin Montgomery’s record eight Race to Dubai titles.

Reed made an encouraging start to the BMW PGA Championship with a strong opening round but a difficult Friday turned into a nightmare when an injury forced him to withdraw from the tournament.

McIlroy later admitted that Reed’s premature exit had opened the door for him to close the gap in the final weeks of the season, while also paying a classy tribute to his long-time rival.

“He [Reed] is a great competitor; he has played great all year,” McIlroy said. “I respect him for how he has went about it, coming through here [DP World Tour]. 

“He has put his head down and done the work; it’s been really good to see.

“Unfortunately, he has pulled out this week, which gives me an opportunity to claw back some ground that I lost last week in Ireland. 

“This weekend is a big weekend for me to make a few points and make the race even tighter going into these few weeks.”

A frosty relationship 

McIlroy and Reed have shared an uncordial past and tension reached boiling point during the infamous ‘tee-gate’ incident that took place on the driving range at the Dubai Desert Classic in 2023.

Reed initially approached his old Ryder Cup opponent to greet him in the new year, however footage showed that while Reed shook hands with McIlroy’s caddie Harry Diamond, the Northern Irishman ignored him.

That led to Reed walking away and chucking a tee in McIlroy’s direction.

McIlroy later insisted he was well within his rights to ignore Patrick after revealing he was served court papers by Reed at his Florida home weeks before the ‘tee-gate’ incident.

“Patrick came up to say hello and I didn’t really want him to,” McIlroy said. 

“From my recollection, that was it. I didn’t see a tee. I didn’t feel a tee. Obviously someone else saw that. But it’s definitely a storm in a teacup. I can’t believe it’s actually turned into a story, it’s nothing.

“I was subpoenaed by his lawyer on Christmas Eve. Trying to have a nice time with my family and someone shows up on your doorstep and delivers that, you’re not going to take that well.

“I’m living in reality, I don’t know where he’s living. If I were in his shoes, I wouldn’t expect a hello or a handshake.”

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LIV Golf differences

Reed attempted to take legal action against the PGA Tour and DP World Tour after his move to LIV Golf and the American’s lawyer tried to get McIlroy to give testimony.

McIlroy was a staunch defender of the established tours and a fierce critic of LIV Golf, which has since filed for bankruptcy.

Reed jumped ship earlier this year, making the decision to earn his way back to the PGA Tour by competing for one of the ten cards on offer on the DP World Tour.

He appears to have regained McIlroy’s respect by doing so.

Eyes on the Wentworth Prize

McIlroy was in fine form at the start of his second round with three birdies in his opening five holes.

He suffered a dropped shot at the eighth but quickly regained his momentum on the back nine.

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He registered successive birdies on the 17th and 18th, despite suffering a bogey at the 16th.

His strong finish on Friday left McIlroy slightly adrift of Gerard in his quest for Race to Dubai points.

Gerard leads the tournament on 12 under after a superb seven-under round of 65.