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Patrick Reed Monday-qualifies for the fourth time this year

Jonathan Wall

Lost amongst the stories of Webb Simpson winning the U.S. Open, Tiger Woods struggling on the weekend at another major and Patrick Cantlay's professional debut at the Travelers Championship is a pretty incredible story.

For the fourth time this year, Patrick Reed has Monday-qualified for a PGA Tour event. For those of you who don't know what that means, each stop on the schedule has a Monday tournament where a select number of players can earn a spot in the field based on their finish in an 18-hole qualifier.

For golfers in the local area, it's a no-brainer. You show up, throw your money down and try your luck. If you miss out, you're only out the entry fee. But for a guy like Patrick Reed, Monday qualifying is a huge gamble.

The former All-American at two-time national champion Augusta State doesn't have status on any major tour ... meaning he's had to spend this year traveling around the country trying his luck in the high stakes qualifiers.

If he gets in, he has a chance to earn a check. And if he doesn't make the weekend? He's out the travel costs and entry fee. It's a risky proposition, no doubt about it. Most guys are lucky if they make it into the field of a PGA Tour field once via a Monday qualifier.

That's what makes Reed's run so impressive. After starting the year off by qualifying for the Zurich Classic, he went on an incredible run of three straight weeks of Monday-qualifying for PGA Tour events.

In that span (including a start visa sponsor's exemption at the Valero Texas Open), Reed made $116,205, which currently leaves him $295,738 from making as much as No. 150 on last year's money list and qualifying for special temporary membership. Doing so would allow him to play up to 12 PGA Tour events as a non-member.

To make that happen, Reed has to keep Monday-qualifying (or receive sponsor's exemptions). However, even if he falls short, the guy deserves credit for the way he's been playing this year. Qualifying for four PGA Tour events in one year is beyond impressive.