Reed topples Spieth as top seeds fall in Match Play

AUSTIN, TEXAS » In a showdown that turned sloppy, Patrick Reed nearly holed a wedge to seize control and finished off Jordan Spieth with a 40foot birdie putt from behind the 17th green to advance to the weekend of the Dell Technologies Match Play.

The 2-and-1 victory sent Spieth home in search of his game with the Masters just two weeks away.

Spieth hit his opening tee shot onto the range and out-of-bounds. He hit into a hazard on each of the next two holes. And when he finally caught Reed with consecutive shots to tap-in range, he missed two key putts inside 6 feet.

“I don’t think it would have been that tough to beat me today,” Spieth said.

Reed was tough enough, twirling a wedge in his hands as it cut into the wind and grazed the front edge of the cup on the 13th hole for a 2-up lead to take command of the match. Spieth, who three-putted for the third time on No. 15 to fall 3 down, stayed alive with an 8-foot birdie putt on the 16th and looked as though he might have a chance to go the distance when Reed’s putt was racing toward the cup at the 17th.

The cup got in the way, and all Spieth could do was smile.

“Just happened to be the perfect line,” Reed said. “Thank God, because that thing was moving.”

And now Reed is moving along into the single-elimination phase of the weekend, four matches away from another World Golf Championship. Spieth is headed to the Houston Open without a top 10 in his last seven tournaments.

Spieth, the No. 4 seed, wasn’t the only player leaving early.

Justin Thomas (No. 2) and Sergio Garcia (No. 7) were the only top10 seeds to advance to the fourth round. Thomas had the easiest time, a 7-and-5 victory over Francesco Molinari. And with defending champion Dustin Johnson already eliminated, Thomas can go to No. 1 in the world if he wins this week. But there’s a long way to go. Asked how he felt going into the weekend, Thomas replied, “The same as the other 16 guys. We all start at the same place.”

Paul Casey might have had the toughest day: He lost twice.