AVONDALE, La. – Patrick Reed has been craving his “normalâ€� life and as such can’t wait to get back into the competitive grind with teammate Patrick Cantlay at the Zurich Classic of New Orleans. The newly minted Masters champion is set to play his first event since claiming his maiden major at Augusta National and couldn’t be happier. And given he forms part of the only team that has two TOUR winners from this season and the only team with both players inside the top 15 of the FedExCup, he has reason to be confident. “There is nothing like being back out here and getting inside the ropes, playing with the guys, and going out and competing,â€� Reed said. “Just something I love to do is compete. I’ve been looking forward to coming back and having a chance to win. “You have to get back in it, get back grinding, and playing some golf. It’s been lots of fun and I look forward to the rest of the year.â€� Reed went head first into the spoils that come with a Green Jacket – hitting the New York media tour and late shows, watching NBA games courtside, and attending functions in his honor. He called it “an eye-opening experienceâ€�. His wife Justine took the brunt of the mountains of correspondence – replying to what Reed believed was easily over 800 emails. He knows things will be different now. And he needs to get used to managing his time. Other major winners have warned him to be ready. “It is different with just everything that comes with it,â€� Reed said. “Just a lot of extra stuff that you didn’t have in the past, which, I mean, it’s all great. It’s awesome. But to be able to manage the time and get back to playing golf and get into our normal routine has been nice, because it’s something you can’t stay out of for a while. “A lot of guys have told me, just be careful with your time. First things first. You got to go out and grind and focus on golf, because the time you start to not focus on golf will be the time you go backwards. That’s nothing any of us want. We all want to improve and get better.â€� It starts at TPC Louisiana where Reed and Cantlay sat second through 36 holes last year only to fade to T14. They believe they’re ready to make amends. “We’re both extremely competitive, and I would say that’s one of the traits we both have that serves us both really well,â€� Cantlay enthused. “We love winning, we love competing, and I think it shows.â€�
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