Reed shows moxie, wins Mexico Championship

Hovland becomes PGA Tour’s first Norwegian winner

Patrick Reed of United States approaches to the third green during the final round for the WGC-Mexico Championship golf tournament on Feb 23. Inset: Patrick Reed poses with the trophy after winning the WGC-Mexico Championship golf tournament, at the Chapultepec Golf Club in Mexico City, on Feb

23. (AP) MEXICO CITY, Feb 24, (AP): Patrick Reed made it hard for anyone to question his moxie. A week that began with Brooks Koepka saying he thought Reed cheated when he was penalized for swiping sand in the Bahamas ended with Reed delivering clutch moments down the stretch to win the Mexico Championship.

Then again, Reed always seems to be at his best when it feels as though the world is against him.

Two shots behind with four holes to play, Reed ran off three straight birdies to overtake a faltering Bryson DeChambeau, closing with a 4-under 67 for his second World Golf Championships title.

Reed made it interesting in the end with a wild tee shot into the trees on the 18th hole at Chapultepec Golf Club, forcing him to chip back to the fairway.

World Golf Championship, especially with how I had to finish from basically 15 onwards ... last hole was ugly but it was what I needed just to get the job done,” Reed said.

He finished at 18-under 266 and moved to No. 8 in the world.

DeChambeau walked back across the bridge to the 18th green to congratulate Reed. DeChambeau can appreciate heavy criticism, his variety for his pace of play.

“There’s been a lot of stuff said in past years, I guess you could say, with him, and even with me. I feel like unfortunately sometimes we get quite a bad rap,” DeChambeau said. “And yeah, there’s things that we’ve done that hasn’t been right, but we haven’t got really gotten the best rap ... He’s a great player, and he’ll be a great player for a long time, and I have a lot of respect for his game.” Rahm had a chance to reach No. 1 in the world with a victory, depending on how McIlroy finished. It was a moot point when the Spanaird took bogey on the par-5 11th and dropped another shot on the 14th with a short iron that went just over the back of the green.

McIlroy was within one shot until going nine straight holes without a birdie.

Thomas, who lost a 54-hole lead for the second time in the Mexico Championship, lost the lead when he hit into the water on the par-3 seventh, and then made another bogey on the next hole. He then had to play a left-handed shot on the 10th on his way to a double bogey. He shot 73.

Meanwhile, Viktor Hovland won the Puerto Rico Open to become the first Norwegian winner in PGA Tour history, chipping in for eagle on the par-5 15th and racing in a 30-footer for birdie on the par-5 18th for a one-stroke victory over Josh Teater.

“The only or the first person to play out here was Henry Bjornstad,” Hovland said. “I grew up kind of watching him play or following the scores online. So to kind of follow his footsteps and be able to win kind of the first tournament for Norway is really special. A bunch of my friends and just normal people from back home paying attention, which is a lot more than I could ask for.”

Hovland overcame a muddy triple bogey on the par-3 11th with the late surge at windy Coco Beach. The 22-year-old former Oklahoma State star shot a 2-under 70 to finish at 20-under 268.

“It feels crazy being here,” Hovland said. “It was certainly a day of lots of ups and downs.”

Teater closed with a 69 for a careerbest second. He rebounded from bogeys on Nos. 10 and 11 with birdies on 15 and 17 in the tournament played opposite the World Golf Championship event in Mexico.

“Hats off to Viktor, that’s a great putt,” Teater said. “Actually, heard it on the radio that it went in before I saw it on TV. He’s a great player and we’re going to see it more often.”

Hovland earned $540,000, a full tour exemption through the 2021-22 season and spots in the PGA Championship and The Players Championship. He won in his 17th start on the tour.

“I was just thinking about trying to play as well as I could today and trying to get the job done,” Hovland said. “I hadn’t really thought about the perks yet, but I’m sure it’s going to be nice to get into some of the events that I wasn’t already qualified for.”

Hovland shot a 64 on Saturday to take a one-stroke lead into the final round. He earned a PGA Tour card last year in the Korn Ferry Tour Finals after winning the 2018 U.S. Amateur at Pebble Beach, then sweeping low amateur honors at the Masters and US Open.

Kyle Stanley, Sam Ryder and Emiliano Grillo tied for third at 15 under. Stanley had a 68, and Ryder and Grillo shot 69. Martin Laird, a shot behind Hovland entering the day, closed with a 75 to tie for sixth at 14 under with Matthew NeSmith (67) and Ted Potter Jr (69). Jhonattan Vegas shot a courserecord 62 to reach 13 under.

Hovland is the first rookie winner this season, snapping a streak of 18 events to start the season without rookie victory – the longest since 2009.

Hovland