PATRICK REED underlined his commitment to the American cause, as he revealed he rushed back into action despite being warned his bout of double pneumonia could have killed him.
Reed, 31, said he was told the illness was potentially fatal when the doctors delivered their grim diagnosis.
He explained: “I had bilateral pneumonia in both lungs, and it was scary because it was in my lower lobes, which is where a lot of deaths occur. People can pass away from that.
“It hit me just like a brick. I mean, all of a sudden I went from feeling okay to literally feeling like I couldn’t breathe.
“I was almost drowning in air. It hit me so fast, and it was so brutal.
“The first couple days they were sitting there telling me to make sure you text your family quite a bit, talk to your family, because you just don’t know.
“I mean, this is not good. We’re not in a good spot right now.
“With how the hospitals are these days because of Covid and everything, it doesn’t matter what’s going on. They won’t allow people in there, so it’s only you in there.
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“So I’m sitting there and those first two days 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.
“It definitely puts you in a dark space when you’re in there, especially those first two days. I was battling for my life.
“But the good thing is I feel so much better now, and hopefully I can hit the ground running.”
The man they call Captain America had been confined to his sick bed for almost three weeks before heading to the Tour Championship, in a last ditch bid to earn a pick from USA captain Steve Stricker.
Reed even had to endure a 14 hour drive from his home in Texas to Atlanta, as he was not allowed to fly because of his illness – double pneumonia causes inflammation in BOTH lungs.
Stricker will name his six wild cards once the Tour Championship is over.
He must have been impressed as Reed again showed his famous fighting qualities, grinding out a two over par 72 – an amazing effort in the circumstances.
Reed added “My energy was okay. I know there’s going to be some ups and downs because I haven’t played in a while, but I hung in there.
“The biggest thing for me this week is to kind of see where I’m at – but I know by the Ryder Cup my game will be where it needs to be.”
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