Embed from Getty ImagesPATRICK REED SHOT A 2-OVER 72 in the first round of the season-ending Tour Championship at East Lake. Not great, but nothing compared to his five or six day ordeal in a Houston-area hospital beginning August 19.
According to Reed in media accounts, he contracted bilateral pneumonia, a potentially fatal illness that settles in the lower lobes of both lungs. Vaccinated for COVID-19, it’s unclear whether Reed was infected with the virus when admitted to the hospital.
Reed told the media he was tested upon leaving the facility.
“I tested negative,” he said.
Just to answer some questions. My primary diagnosis was bilateral pneumonia. I was vaccinated for COVID-19 so I’m not sure if I had the delta variant but I’m just happy to be here. The pneumonia had infiltrated my lower lobes of my lungs- I’m so fortunate for the care I received.
— Patrick Reed (@PReedGolf) September 1, 2021
Hospital personnel encouraged Reed to reach out to his family, although he wasn’t allowed to see his wife or others in person.
The Masters champion said, “The only thing that was going through my mind is, I’m not going to be able to tell my kids goodbye. I’m not going to be able to tell them I love them. I’m not going to be able to tell my wife that I love her and give her a hug.”
He added, “It definitely puts you in a dark space when you’re in there, especially those first two days. I mean, I was battling for my life.”
Unable to travel by plane, Reed trekked from Houston to Atlanta in a van and said “no” when asked if he’d be playing in the Tour Championship if it wasn’t a Ryder Cup year.
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