Reed fires up to take first major

PATRICK Reed was never going to back down.

He never has, from anything, from the naysayers, the critics, the accusers who have whispered in back rooms about what he might have done somewhere, a long time ago.

But no-one was going to hand him the Masters either, certainly not the bold brigade of brilliant finishers who rallied on Sunday at Augusta to give Reed the fight of his life.

Jordan Spieth nearly managed the biggest comeback in Masters history too, with a stunning reminder of his Augusta awesomeness.

From eight shots down he joined the lead late, before finishing two-shots back.

Rickie Fowler was runnerup, within touching distance of his own major breakthrough at the majors.

But even Fowler, who stuffed his second shot so close on the 18th he nearly walked in a birdie to get to 14under, the number he knew was right, thought Reed would not pack it in.

And he didn’t. The 27-yearold made his own clutch par putt on the last hole to ensure he would be welcome at the Masters forever.

Reed, the world number 11, isn’t necessarily everyone’s cup of tea.

His brash antics with Team USA in recent Ryder Cups have been enough for plenty of golfing purists to turn up their noses.

Rory McIlroy, a one-time Ryder Cup foe, got a bigger cheer when the pair were announced on the first tee.

But Reed, 27, said that only “fuelled my fire”, and his play through four days of this Masters could not be denied.