Reed's well-traveled road to Quail Hollow

• By Rex Hoggard
• May 3, 2012 4:46 PM ET

CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Many in Thursday’s gallery at Quail Hollow Club likely didn’t know who Patrick Reed is, which seems about right because the freshly minted touring professional probably doesn’t know exactly where he is right now.

The last three weeks Reed and his fiancee have covered 1,258 miles, played 200 holes of meaningful golf and earned more money ($81,755) than most recent college grads can expect to make in a year. And yet it feels as if Team Reed is just getting started.

The Reeds’ excellent adventure began with a pre-qualifying event for the Texas Open, but before he could finish his Monday qualifying round for the San Antonio stop he was given a sponsor exemption into the field, where he finished tied for 35^th.

Following his Texas start, Reed and his fiancee, Justine Karain, drove to New Orleans, arrived at 2:45 a.m. Monday morning and headed out for the Zurich Classic qualifier where he finished tied at 4 under and survived a two-hole playoff for one of the final spots at TPC Louisiana.

In New Orleans, he tied for 24^th and boarded a flight shortly afterward to Greenville, N.C., for another abbreviated night’s sleep and another sprint to a Monday qualifying tee time for this week’s Wells Fargo Championship.

“My butt is getting flatter because there’s been a lot of driving and a lot less sleep,” said Reed, who shot 65 on Monday to qualify for his third consecutive Tour event.

Reed’s bogey-free 66 on Thursday at Quail Hollow vaulted him into an early tie for the lead and he said confidence, if not caffeine, has been the key to his recent success.

The good news for the Augusta State standout is that unless he wins the Wells Fargo he will be able to rest up next week. There is no Monday qualifier for The Players Championship.