Reed’s winless drought could end today
JERSEY CITY, N.J. — Patrick Reed is finally being rewarded with good scores on the golf course, and he hopes it can be enough to turn around his season.
He is winless in the past 16 months dating to the 2018 Masters, which was his first major championship and his sixth PGA Tour victory.
He hasn’t missed the season-ending Tour Championship in five years, but he started the current FedEx Cup playoffs at No. 50 in the standings, leaving him little room for a bad opening tournament. He also is in danger of being left off a U.S. men’s golf team for the first time since his rookie season in 2013.
Reed put himself in position to change his outlook Saturday with a 4-under-par 67, giving him a one-shot lead over Mexico’s Abraham Ancer going into the final round of The Northern Trust.
“It’s close and it feels good,” Reed said. “Feels like this has been coming for some time, and now it’s just go out and stick to the game plan tomorrow and hopefully … have a chance to win the golf tournament.”
Reed was at 14-under 199 at Liberty National Golf Club and will be paired in the final group with Ancer, who had a 68 as he tries to deliver good golf at the right time.
Ancer, who won the Australian Open late last year, is No. 67 in the FedEx Cup standings. The top 70 advance to this week’s BMW Championship, but a good finish could sew up a spot in the Tour Championship and make him eligible for all the majors next year.
There’s more. He is No. 10 in the Presidents Cup standings, and this final round could go a long way in returning to Australia as part of the International team.
“The only thing I have to worry about is still play some good golf tomorrow and that will take care of itself,” Ancer said. “I’m trying not to think about that that much. I know it’s there, and I obviously think about it, but I’m just focusing on trying to do everything I can to just play a good, solid round tomorrow.”
The Presidents Cup was on Reed’s mind, too. He has played for every U.S. men’s golf team dating to 2014. He is No. 17 in the U.S. standings, though a victory would only move him to No. 12. The top eight after the BMW Championship automatically qualify.
If he was thinking about that Saturday, it was because of the location. The last Presidents Cup was at Liberty National two years ago.
“Probably more in the back of my mind here because it was here in 2017 and seeing the Statue of Liberty,” Reed said. “Definitely in the back of my mind, but the biggest thing is to go out and play solid golf.”
A dozen players were separated by five shots going into the final round.
Brandt Snedeker had a pair of eagles in his round of 63 that left him two shots out of the lead, along with Spain’s Jon Rahm (69). Justin Rose (69) was among those another shot behind, joined in the tie for fifth by fellow Englishman Danny Willett (66) — the 2016 Masters winner — and Harold Varner III (68).
Northern Ireland’s Rory McIlroy finished with two birdies over his last three holes for a 70 to get within four shots of the lead. He was tied for eighth with South Africa’s Louis Oosthuizen (70).
Baylor School graduate Keith Mitchell (71) was tied for 51st at 2 under, and fellow former Red Raiders standout Luke List (76) was tied for 77th. Mitchell is 37th in the FedEx Cup, with List 87th.
Dustin Johnson and Jordan Spieth, playing in the final group, lost ground on a blustery day.
Johnson, twice a winner of this FedEx Cup playoffs opener, didn’t make a birdie until the 10th hole, and then his round fell apart with four bogeys over the last six holes for a 74 that dropped him five shots behind.
Spieth began his round by hitting his tee shot into the water, lost ground and momentum with a sloppy double bogey — his first of the tournament — from the fairway on No. 7 and recorded only two birdies in his round of 74 that had him tied for 13th at 8 under.
He is No. 69 in the FedEx Cup, but a strong finish this week could help salvage his season with a spot in the Tour Championship.
Sisters in top five
NORTH BERWICK, Scotland — Thailand’s Moriya Jutanugarn shot a 4-under 67 to take a onestroke lead into the final round of the Ladies Scottish Open.
The LPGA Tour’s 2013 rookie of the year, the 25-year-old Jutanugarn’s lone win on tour came in April 2018. She had six birdies and two bogeys in Saturday’s round.
Mi Jung Hur, the tournament’s 36-hole leader, shot a 70 and was tied for second at 15-under 198 with Jeongeun Lee6, who had a 66 at the Renaissance Club. They were three shots ahead of fellow South Korean Mi Hyang Lee (68), who was alone in fourth.
Jutanugarn’s younger sister, Ariya, shot a 68 and was tied for fifth at 10 under with Carly Booth (66), Chella Choi (68), Jane Park (69) and Anne van Dam (71).