Reed emerges from 4-man ‘dogfight’ with 1st major

Patrick Reed shot a final round of 71, held off Ricky Fowler and a near-historic round of golf by Jordan Spieth, to win the Masters Tournament and secure his first major championship.

It had been another remarkable Pros operation by the 24-year-old American, who has now won the Green Jacket when, finished runner up settled and twice for third Sunday.

Speaking during the presentation ceremony in the Butler Cabin, Reed said: “It’s nearly impossible to put it into words, just to make the putt on the last and know that I have won my first major and ending the drought of not winning past year”.

Reed, who had never cracked 70 in 12 Masters rounds until this week, became the fourth straight first-time Masters victor and the ninth first-time major victor in the past 10 such events, the only exception Spieth’s British Open win a year ago.

“I mean, I’m just out here to play golf and try to win golf tournaments”, Reed answered.

“I knew the lead would shrink at some times and the lead could grow at others, it’s just the flows of golf and you need to know how to handle it”.

The42 is on Instagram! I knew the putt was important, every shot was important coming down the stretch. “I’m nine back. Go out and just have fun”.

“I’m just happy to (achieve) one of my biggest goals.to win a major”. He started out the first round two under par, but kept even on the day he made the cut.

Spieth clipped a tree branch off the 18th tee and needed three to reach the green, where he missed an 8-foot par putt to match the 18-hole course record and settled for closing with his lone bogey.

The 14-time major championship victor carded a 1-over-par 73 in the first round on Thursday.

He can take some solace in making six birdies or better in the final round – almost as many as he made in the first three rounds combined. “I stuck to my game plan all week”, Reed said.

“So I’m really looking forward to this year and the three majors that are left”, said Fowler.

Spieth looked like he would pull off the ultimate comeback after he tied for the lead in the final round, but a bogey in the final hole saw him drop a shot, while Reed, who was playing in the final group of the day gained a shot with a birdie at 14.

There was a cathartic moment for Spieth at the 12th hole, where in 2016 he famously twice found the water en route to shooting seven at the par three to derail his bid to win back-to-back Masters, as he celebrated a clean shot onto the green that led to one of his nine birdies. He closed with a 74 and tied for fifth. I remember at Eurofield in 2013 he walked off the field and said he was braindead, then the next year he won two majors. “I was glad to end the drought”.

McIlroy and Spieth were both favoured by the galleries in Augusta – a short drive from where Reed had led Augusta State to back-to-back NCAA Division I titles.

“That played into my hand”, Reed said.

Congratulations to Patrick Reed on his great and courageous MASTERS win! I knew when I birdied 14, was about the same time that Jordan bogeyed the last.

“I just haven’t played it well enough at the right times“, said McIlroy.