Reed pulls out of Dunhill Links as McIlroy closes in on Race to Dubai

Patrick Reed will not tee it up at St Andrews this week. He has withdrawn from the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship (1–4 October) because of the wrist injury that forced him out of the BMW PGA Championship, according to reports from Golfmagic and Golfer Insight on Sunday.

Reed’s lead over Rory McIlroy, which stood at almost 840 points before Wentworth, is now down to 307.76 points, and he will add nothing to it for at least another week.

Reed opened the BMW PGA Championship with a 68 but his second round unravelled. On the ninth hole his ball finished in deep rough near tree roots. After the swing his club flew out of his hands and Reed clutched his left wrist and shoulder, The Golf News Net reported. He finished the hole, hit his tee shot at the 10th and then withdrew.

McIlroy’s closing 68 earned a share of second place with Aaron Rai, Adam Scott and Manuel Elvira, lifting him from 2,583.86 to 3,115.86 points, according to the DP World Tour. Reed sits on 3,423.62.

Reed is reported to be targeting the DP World India Championship (15–18 October) if his wrist allows. “I have three events until the end of my DP World Tour season,” McIlroy said after Wentworth: India, then the two Play-Offs events in Abu Dhabi and Dubai, where the biggest points hauls of the year are on offer.

Reed has played 18 counting events this season and McIlroy ten. The Race to Dubai winner takes a $2 million bonus, and an eighth title for McIlroy would equal Colin Montgomerie’s record.

Matt Fitzpatrick, who is in the Dunhill Links field, moved from 39th to ninth with his win at the Open de France on Sunday, according to Golfmagic.

We think Reed’s lead now looks fragile. If McIlroy plays well in India and the UAE, Reed may need to be fit again quickly to stay in front. Where the finale is played is also unsettled, with the tour still committed to the UAE despite contingency planning, as we reported last week.

Sources

• DP World Tour: McIlroy cuts into Reed’s Race to Dubai lead with runner-up finish at Wentworth
• Golfmagic: Patrick Reed announcement will have Rory McIlroy sensing a big Race to Dubai opportunity
• Golfer Insight via Yahoo Sports: Reed’s withdrawal opens Race to Dubai door for McIlroy
• The Golf News Net: Patrick Reed withdraws from the 2026 BMW PGA Championship after wrist injury
• Golfmagic: Open de France final scores and prize money payouts
• The Golf News Net: 2026 Alfred Dunhill Links Championship field