Patrick Reed says he feels his life is in danger due to double pneumonia

ATLANTA Patrick Reed shot 2 over 72 TOUR championships in the first round at East Lake in his first start after hospitalization.

He made four bogeyes and two birdies in his first action in nearly a month.

My energy was okay, Reed said. Of course, my speed does not yet exist. If I really notice that it’s kind of in the iron shots and in making the settings and hitting the exact amount, it just seemed hairy. But the good thing is that my short game didn’t leave me.

Reed, who has not played since the WGC-FedEx St.Jude Invitational in Memphis (T31), left the first two greens in regulation, but rose and fell both times to save par.

He planned to take his ankle off his health for a while in Memphis, but was not at home long before he was diagnosed with pneumonia in both lungs. He left the first two FedExCup Playoffs, NORTHERN CREDIT and the BMW Championship, after hospitalization.

I went on Thursday FOR NORTHERN TRUST, Reed said. I was there, it felt like I was there forever. I think I was there for five or six days.

When asked if his life was ever in danger, he did not hesitate.

Oh, he said. No, the first couple of days they sat there and told me to make sure you write to your family quite a bit, talk to your family because you just don’t know. I mean, this is not good. We are not in a good position at the moment.

It made it difficult for him to be alone, which limited COVID hospital visitors.

Those first two days, the only thing that ran through my mind is that I can’t say goodbye to my kids, Reed said. I can’t tell them I love them. I can’t tell my wife I love her and hug her.

He was allowed to fly and be in cabin pressure from Monday, he said. He continues to do breathing exercises to clean his lungs, he added. Still, at least he’s playing again. Reed hit just six green game rules, but needed the choice of U.S. Ryder Cup captain Steve Stricker, who will make six selections next week, but was 8/12 in the shuffle.

His health did not stop him, he said. And he was optimistic as he waited forward.

I just get stronger every day, he said. I look forward to tomorrow and hopefully continue to hit the fairways. I hit 10 fairways today and if I continue it and play short grass here, we start playing irons and keeping the short game sharp and making putty.