Jun 28, 2025; Carrollton, Texas, USA; Patrick Reed plays his shot from the second tee during the second round of the LIV Golf Dallas golf tournament at Maridoe Golf Club. Mandatory Credit: Raymond Carlin III-Imagn Images Patrick Reed moved closer to his first career win on the LIV Tour by carding a 4-under-par 68 in the second round on Saturday for a three-shot advantage at the LIV Golf Dallas in Carrollton, Texas.
The first-round co-leader with 4Aces GC teammate Harold Varner III after 5-under 67 scores, Reed posted birdies at Nos. 2, 6, 7, 8, 12 and 14 to counter bogeys at the par-4 holes at No. 10 and 15 for 9-under 135 after 36 holes at Maridoe Golf Club.
“Really, the mindset is the same as it’s been all week, just go out, feel like everyone is starting at even par and try to win the day,” said Reed, 34, a San Antonio native who also is going for his first professional win in his home state. “I think the biggest thing for me is I feel like the golf game feels pretty solid. Everything seems to be tight and where I want it to be. The biggest thing is going out there and not trying to press, not trying to force anything and really just go out and try to win the day as if it’s a Monday qualifier.”
England’s Paul Casey of Crushers GC shot 67 on Saturday and Mexico’s Abraham Ancer of Fireballs BC posted a 69 to move into a tie for second at 6 under.
Casey spaced birdies across Nos. 1, 2, 6, 7, 13, 16 and 18. He bogeyed the par-4 No. 9 and par-3 No. 14. Ancer was streaky with birdies at Nos. 4-7, 13-14 and 16, but also bogeys at Nos. 9-11 and 15.
“I’m satisfied, yeah. It could have been better,” Ancer said after his second straight round of 69. “It could have been way worse, as well. I grinded it out. It’s a big-time golf course; if you’re not in the fairway, it’s really tough to make pars. You can make some big numbers.”
Varner shot even par and slipped to a tie for fourth at 5 under with England’s Tyrell Hatton (7-under 65 on Saturday) of Legion XIII, England’s Richard Bland (69) of Cleeks Golf Club and Spain’s David Puig (69) of Fireballs GC.
4Aces GC, with Reed and Varner again leading the way, combined for a 3 under for the round and 12 under for the tournament to remain atop the team standings. Legion XIII and Crushers GC are four strokes back at 8 under with one round to play.
The 4Aces team, which also includes captain Dustin Johnson (T15, even) and Belgian Thomas Pieters (T24, 2 over), has three podium finishes in the last five starts.
“I feel like the guys are starting to take care of business, play some solid golf and really it’s one of those things that you have to go out and play well as a team,” Reed said. “Every guy when you count four scores has to play well, and we haven’t had that yet this season. We’ll have certain guys play well one week and then next week it won’t be.”
After a meltdown and withdrawal in the first round, Brooks Koepka did not return to the tournament on Saturday. The five-time major winner was 6-over-par through eight holes on Friday.
After hitting a tee shot on the par-4 9th, Koepka hammered the tee marker towards the crowd in a show of apparent frustration. He posted a bogey on the 9th then withdrew, citing illness.
Koepka could have returned to play this weekend, though per LIV rules, his scores would have counted only toward the team standings. He was replaced by reserve player Luis Carrera for the remainder of the first round.
–Field Level Media
