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WHITE SULPHUR SPRINGS, W.Va. - Getting one's photo on the walls of the Greenbrier Classic media center isn't the goal of PGA Tour players, but there is certain significance to the eight that hang in the section of the tennis building that is cordoned off for media covering the event.
The five champions - Stuart Appleby (2010), Scott Stallings (2011), Ted Potter Jr. (2012), Jonas Blixt (2013) and Angel Cabrera (2014) - have photos on the wall of the interview room.
The hospitality room has three photos: Bubba Watson, a two-time Masters champion who owns a house on the Greenbrier resort property; Tiger Woods, a 14-time major champion; and ... Patrick Reed.
The San Antonio, Texas, native can't boast a major win, but he is one of only five players that has earned four PGA Tour victories before the age of 25.
He already has claimed to be a top-five player in the world, but remains reserved in most interviews.
"He's already proven how good he is going to be," Greenbrier resort golf pro emeritus Lee Trevino said. "He won three tournaments there right off the bat."
Reed's most recent title was at the Hyundai Tournament of Champions in January, but he's seventh in FedEx Cup points and 15th in the World Golf Rankings thanks to making the cut in 14 of 16 events since. He was second in the Valspar Championship, losing in a playoff to Jordan Spieth.
"I feel like my game is in the right place," said Reed, who has won $2,761,126 in 17 made cuts this season. "I feel like I'm rolling the ball well and feel like I'm hitting the ball solid. I need to have everything click at the same time.
"Seems like this year, so far, one thing has been off here or there, which has caused me to have top 25s that should have been top 10s and top 10s that should've had a little bit more chance to win coming down the stretch."
He'll go for his fifth PGA Tour win beginning at 1:10 p.m. Thursday when he tees off with Keegan Bradley and defending champion Angel Cabrera when the Greenbrier Classic begins on the Old White TPC.
Just three years ago Reed, who helped Augusta State win back-to-back NCAA championships (2010-11), was attempting to qualify for his fifth PGA Tour event via the Monday route at the Resort at Glade Springs.
He missed the Greenbrier that year, but qualified six times via Mondays that year.
Boundless confidence, a superb short game and the ability to keep controversy outside the ropes has put the 24-year-old on the fast track to superstardom.
"People seem to criticize the part that he's a little on the mean side," Trevino said. "But, I like that. You got to be a little on the mean side. I thought (Ben) Crenshaw would've been a hell of a player if he would've been a little meaner."
Reed doesn't turn 25 until August 5, giving him the Greenbrier Classic (Thur-Sat), John Deere Classic (July 9-12), The Open Championship (July 16-19) and Canadian Open (July 30-Aug. 2) to win his fifth.
Spieth was 20 years, 13 days when he won the 2013 John Deere Classic; Tiger Woods was 20 years, nine months and nine days old when he won the 1996 Canadian Open; Sergio Garcia was 20 years, four months, 11 days old when he won the 2001 Colonial and Rory McIlroy was two days from turning 21 when he won the 2010 Quail Hollow.
Spieth and McIlroy have avoided the off-the-course issues, Woods' personal life has been well-documented and Garcia and Woods were involved in a much-publicized feud in the late 1990s.
As for Reed, his transgressions have also failed to avoid the glaring spotlight of the media, including rumored cheating in college, a gay slur that could be heard on the broadcast of the WGC-HSBC Champions in Shanghai and his wife reportedly having Reed's parents removed from the 2014 U.S. Open.
"The main thing for me is whatever gets written or said, at the end of the day, that doesn't matter as much as just focusing on what I need to do, which is to play golf," he said. "If I'm playing well, that will take care of everything else. For us, it's still a job."
For the time being, Reed has plenty of confidence in his job.
That could lead to a championship week at the Old White TPC, where he tied for 26th last year, but missed the cut in 2012.
Then he can get his photo moved to the room next door.
"I feel like the course fits my eye," he said. "I just feel like I need to go out there and stick to my game plan and hopefully hit the ball solid and roll some putts in."
Contact Assistant Sports Editor Rich Stevens at richstevens@dailymailwv.com or 304-348-4837. Follow him on Twitter @richdailymail.