The first phase of the 2021 FedEx Cup playoffs is already underway at the Liberty National Golf Club down in Jersey City, but the field that's supposed to be 125-players strong is down one man with Patrick Reed withdrawing from the tournament due to an ankle injury, according to The Associated Press (h/t The Kansas City Star).

Patrick Reed withdrew from The Northern Trust on Thursday with an ankle injury, missing the first of two events remaining before the end of Ryder Cup qualifying.

The PGA Tour did not receive details on the nature of the injury.

It's a tough one for Patrick Reed. His withdrawal meant that he won't be in the running for the biggest cut of the purse at The Northern Trust. The total money at stake in the tournament is $9.5 million. Moreover, he will miss getting points from the event which could help him advance into the championship tournament of the 2021 FedEx Cup Playoffs.

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Patrick Reed currently has 1,381 FedEx Cup points, good for the 22nd spot on the leaderboard, which should be enough to secure him a spot at the BMW Championship next week. However, advancing to the Tour Championship is now dimmer for him.

The 31-year-old Patrick Reed last saw action at the World Golf Championships-FedEx St. Jude Invitational earlier this month where he had a T31. Prior to that, he represented the United States in the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, finishing with a T22.