NEW YORK: Patrick Reed fired a two-under par 69 Sunday to win the US PGA Tour Northern Trust tournament, his first victory since his 2018 Masters triumph.
Reed’s overnight lead at Liberty National in Jersey City, New Jersey, evaporated with back-to-back bogeys at the second and third holes. But two back-nine birdies, at the 14th and 16th, were enough to lift the American to a seventh career title on 16-under 268 — one stroke in front of Mexico’s Abraham Ancer. “It’s amazing,” Reed said.
“Just to be back here and be playing some solid golf and finally have it paying off. “It’s been awhile,” he added. “It’s been a little too long, honestly.”
Reed was part of the US Presidents Cup team that triumphed at Liberty National in 2017. Fans at the course in the shadow of the Statue of Liberty welcomed him back with enthusiasm. “Hearing ‘Captain America’ and ‘USA’ all week — it was a great time to get a W,” Reed said.
Spain’s Jon Rahm surged to the top of the leaderboard with three birdies in four holes on the front nine. Birdies at 12 and 13 moved Rahm to 16-under, but he faded with bogeys at the 14th and 15th. Reed, even for the day after three birdies and three bogeys on the front nine, rolled in an eight-footer at the 14th before draining a 10-footer to save par at 15, where he missed the green and pitched on.
He stuck his short approach shot four feet from the pin at 16 and rolled that in to give himself a twostroke cushion. The victory in the first of three events in the US tour’s FedEx Cup playoffs moved Reed to second in the playoff standings going into the BMW Championship. – AFP
