Before some of the world’s top pro golfers gather in the home of golf in Scotland, the PGA Tour will head to the Quad Cities area for the John Deere Classic, while the DP World Tour will host the BMW International Open in Munich, Germany.
LIV Golf's Patrick Reed, currently ranked 101st in the world, is the man in the spotlight this week in Bavaria. Unlike other LIV Golf players, Reed is eligible to play on the DP World Tour because he has no outstanding fines or penalties. The same is true for Thomas Peters, who narrowly lost the Soudal Open in his native Belgium in May. Peters finished one stroke behind 37-year-old Spaniard Nacho Elvira.
Reed also failed to make it last week. He was hoping to play in the Italian Open, which offers two spots for this year's British Open through Open Qualifying, but he ultimately failed. Tom McKibbin lost in a playoff to Marcel Simm, while American Sean Crocker qualified for Royal Troon.
The 2018 Masters champion is currently outside of next week's Scottish Open, the final event in British Open qualifying. However, that could change if Reed wins in Germany this week.
The R&A will invite the top three players (and the rest not exempt) to play in the British Open at the Renaissance Club in North Berwick next week.
Other notable players at the BMW International Open include Austrian Bernd Weisberg (leaving LIV Golf at the end of 2023), former U.S. Open champion Martin Kaymer and Ryder Cup captain Luke Donald. PGA Tour Champions stars Bernhard Langer, Thomas Bjorn, Miguel Angel Jimenez and Alex Seca will also be in action this week, fresh off the U.S. Senior Open at Newport Country Club, where LIV Golf's Richard Brand won his second consecutive Senior Major title.
Jack Milko is SB Nation's Playing Through golf columnist. Be sure to check out @_PlayingThrough for more golf coverage. You can follow him on Twitter @JackMilco Same here.