Return to winner’s circle long time coming for Reed
Northern Trust title helps 2018 Masters champ rocket up Fed Ex Cup standings
JERSEY CITY, N.J. Patrick Reed just wanted to show what he can do.
Turned out pretty good in The Northern Trust.
“Go out and be who I am — that’s grind,” said Reed, who won the PGA Tour’s FedEx Cup playoff opener. “And once I get out on the golf course, go play golf. See golf shots and hit golf shots.”
Reed posted two birdies in a three-hole stretch on the back nine on the way to a 2-under 69 and a one-stroke victory in Sunday’s final round at Liberty National Golf Club. Reed finished at 16 under, earning his first win since the 2018 Masters.
“Feels like this has been coming for some time,” Reed said. “It’s going in the right direction. I feel like I’m doing a lot of things well. I just need to go out and give myself opportunities.”
Reed said he changed golf balls a week earlier for the final round of the Wyndham Championship. He’s using a 17 Pro V.
Regardless of the particulars, it’s the revised mindset that Reed might have coveted the most recently.
“It’s just awesome to finally be in that position back again where I’m contending on Sunday,” he said. “I’ve been able to do that the past month and a half because of all the work we’ve done on the range and on the off-weeks, so that when I come out here and play I’m playing, not trying to fix a golf swing on the road.”
Reed, who began the post-season in 50th place in points, vaulted to No. 2 with the victory. With the revamped schedule including only three playoff events, he goes into the BMW Championship at Medinah Country Club in Medinah, Ill., as one of the favourites.
“Any time you can ease your mind and you have clear focus, you’re able to go out there and execute and play better golf,” Reed said.
Mexico’s Abraham Ancer, who charged into second place in the third round, stayed there with a 69 and ended up at 15 under.
Harold Varner III (68) and Spain’s Jon Rahm (69) tied for third place at 14 under.
As for the Canadians, Corey Conners topped the four who made the weekend cut.
Conners shot 2 under Sunday to finish the tournament at 8 under, tied for 21st. Conners moves on to the next round of the FedEx Cup playoffs, where he’ll be joined by Adam Hadwin.
Hadwin finished tied for 43rd on Sunday at 4 under.
As for the other Canadians, Roger Sloan finished at 1 under in a tie for 64th, while Mackenzie Hughes shot even for the event, finishing tied for 67th.
Reed had a messy front nine with three bogeys negating the impact of three birdies.
Three golfers were within a stroke of Reed when he birdied the par-4 16th.
In between birdies on Nos. 14 and 16, Reed made a par-saving putt on No. 15.
Ancer had only one birdie across a 12-hole span until consecutive birdies on Nos. 17 and 18. He was playing in the last group with Reed, creating a showdown for the final hole.
“(I was) just focusing on trying to do everything I can to just play a good, solid round,” Ancer said.
Varner made his move with birdies on Nos. 12-14, pulling within a stroke of Reed. Varner’s round included a double-bogey on No. 9, his only blunder of the round.
“I don’t know what it is about this time of the year, but I play well,” Varner said. “I think the options go down. All you can do is play well or you go home.
“I like home a lot, but not as much as playing golf.”
Rahm moved briefly into the lead as he was 3 under for the day through 10 holes. But bogeys on Nos. 14 and 15 were costly.
Australia’s Adam Scott (65) finished fifth at 13 under.
Jordan Spieth recovered from Saturday’s 74 with a 67, closing the tournament at 12 under in a tie for sixth place. He was joined by Brandt Snedeker (71), Northern Ireland’s Rory McIlroy (69) and South Africa’s Louis Oosthuizen (69).