CAPTAIN AMERICA MASTERS AUGUSTA

Reed holds off furious rally from Spieth, Fowler to claim green jacket

Becomes fourth straight first-time Masters champion

AUGUSTA, Ga. — If you’re someone prone to a queasy stomach in the wake of a turbulent roller-coaster ride, this wasn’t for you. You’d have needed to look away at this frenetic Masters finish.

Here’s the thing, though: It was impossible to look away. The action was too exhilarating, the characters too compelling, the storylines too rich.

By the time the roars in and around the giant pine tries died and the sun set around Augusta National, Patrick Reed was having the green jacket slipped over his shoulders in the Butler Cabin as the 2018 Masters champion.

Reed, nicknamed “Captain America’’ for his Ryder Cup prowess, is not exactly the most popular people’s champion.

His story is a somewhat complicated one. He’s mysteriously estranged from his parents, who live in Augusta and were not believed to be at the course Sunday or at all this week. He came to play college golf at Augusta State, where he won two national championships, after reportedly being kicked out of the University of Georgia, allegedly for stealing.

Asked if his Masters victory was “bittersweet’’ not being able share it with his family who live so close by, the winner’s smile was wiped from Reed’s face for a moment and he said simply, “I’m just out here to play golf and try to win golf tournaments.’’

So Reed is not exactly your warm-and-fuzzy, embraced-by-the-masses Masters champion.

But no matter: He won the Masters and did it by shooting a final-round survival 71 to finish on 15-under, bravely staving off a mad afternoon rush of challenges from the likes of Jordan Spieth, Rickie Fowler and Jon Rahm — three of the most popular players in the sport. “Today was definitely probably the hardest mentally a round of golf could possibly be,’’ Reed said.

When Fowler, who finished runner-up, birdied the 18th in front of Reed to get to 14-under, one shot behind him, Reed came to the 18th needing par to win the Masters and change his life. “To hear that roar on the last, I just knew it had to be Rickie, because to win your first major is never going to be easy,’’ Reed said. “It’s just a way of God basically saying, ‘Let’s see if you have it. Everyone knows you have it physi- cally with the talent, but do you have it mentally? Can you handle the ups and downs throughout the round?’ ’’

Reed drove the 18th fairway and left his approach shot above the hole, leaving a slippery downhill putt with some break in it for him to get down in two for the win, which he did, sinking a 3 ¹ /2-foot knee-knocker for the victory.

Reed became the fourth consecutive firsttime major winner to win the Masters, following Spieth (2015), Danny Willett (2016) and Sergio Garcia last year. This was his 17th career major championship appearance and fifth Masters.

There were a number of key moments that led to this win for Reed, beginning with a speedy birdie putt on No. 3 that staved off his playing partner, Rory McIlroy, and calmed his nerves. It got him back to 14-under and gave him the three-shot lead he started with for the moment.

Asked afterward how far past the cup that putt might have run had it not gone in, Reed said, “Probably still be rolling.’’

Reed’s approach shot on the par-5 13th hole was short and somehow stayed on the bank of shaved grass instead of rolling back into Rae’s Creek. Reed parred the hole instead of giving a shot back with bogey.

Every time McIlroy, Spieth, Fowler or Rahm threw a haymaker at Reed, he responded with a counterpunch on the next hole. Essentially, he outlasted his pursuers. “Every time I looked at a board, they always threw up a number and it seemed to always get closer and closer to me,’’ Reed said. “It was kind of nervewracking.’’

When Spieth drained a birdie-bomb putt on No. 16 to get to 14-under at the time, he tied Reed for the lead. Minutes later, Reed birdied No. 14 to get to 15-under and he never lost the lead again.

“I was kind of glad he ran out of holes,’’ Reed said of Spieth.

“He’s a member of the Masters club now, he’ll have a green jacket forever,’’ Spieth said. “His name is etched in history.’’

Fowler, who shot 67 on Sunday, one shot short of Reed, said Reed’s most notable characteristic is “he’s not scared.’’

“He’s a fighter, especially when he gets in contention,’’ Fowler said. “He won’t back down. I don’t necessarily see him as someone that backs up and will let you come back into the tournament. You have to go catch him.’’

And no one could on Sunday.