‘Captain America’ Patrick Reed withdraws from Northern Trust as Ryder Cup qualifying deadline looms

August 19, 2021

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JERSEY CITY, N.J. – Patrick Reed pulled out of the Northern Trust, the first of three FedEx Cup playoff events, citing an ankle injury.

Reed, 31, also withdrew last week ahead of the Wyndham Championship, the final regular season of the PGA Tour’s 2020-21 “super season,” and where he was a past champion, but that was believed to be to rest up for a busy stretch that could include the Ryder Cup in late September.

Reed, who won the Farmers Insurance Open earlier this year, enters the FedEx Cup playoffs in 22nd place in the season-long point standings, so he is safe for next week’s BMW Championship, which is reserved for the top 70 in the standings.

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But missing this week and battling an injury could impact the chances of “Captain America” making the U.S. Ryder Cup team. Reed is currently ninth in the U.S. Ryder Cup point standings. The top six point-getters will automatically qualify for the team after the BMW Championship. U.S. captain Steve Stricker will make his six captain’s picks after the Tour Championship, the following week. The Ryder Cup will be held Sept. 24-26.

Reed, who ranks No. 17 in the Official World Golf Ranking, doesn’t have a top-10 finish in his last six starts. He has played a heavy schedule since the U.S. Open in June, including traveling to Japan to compete in the Tokyo Olympics as a last-minute replacement for Bryson DeChambeau when he tested positive for COVID-19. He finished T-31 in his last start at the WGC FedEx St. Jude Invitational.