Patrick Reed is far from being one of the more popular players on the U.S. PGA Tour, but he doesn’t really care. Especially now. On the eve of the final round of the U.S. Masters, he was asked why some people — mostly on social media — tended to back other players against him.
"I don't know,”· he replied. “Why don't you ask them? I mean, I have no idea, and honestly I don't really care what people say on Twitter or what they say if they are cheering for me or not cheering for me. I'm out here to do my job, and that's to play golf. I feel like if I'm doing it the right way, then that's all that really matters."
He received another clear indication of fans’ preferences when he headed to the first tee of Augusta National next morning. “Had a really welcoming cheer from the fans,” he would diplomatically recall later, “but then when Rory (playing partner McIlroy) walked up to the tee, you know, his cheer was a little louder.”
As the PGA Tour noted in its final-day report, “Reed wasn’t surprised. He understood – Augusta National reveres its history, and on Sunday fans wanted to see history made, with McIlroy in line to become the sixth player to complete the career Grand Slam. Reed, starting the day three strokes in front, was merely seeking his first major. His story wasn’t as compelling. Captain America – the man of the people just 18 months ago when he beat McIlroy in singles to lead the U.S. to the Ryder Cup – would not win the popularity contest, even in his old college (Augusta State) stomping grounds. Few expected him to win. Few were cheering for him. Reed channelled those two thoughts and came to one conclusion: no expectations equals no pressure.”
By the end of the day, 27-year-old Reed had secured the famous green jacket, closing with a 71 for a 15-under total of 273, and McIlroy had once again suffered a final-day collapse at Augusta, slipping from second place three strokes behind the American to fifth and sixth strokes adrift after a 74.
Meanwhile, another fan favourite and, arguably, “the best player not to have won a major”, Rickie Fowler, closed with a 67 to finish runner-up by just a single stroke, Jordan Spieth soared up the leaderboard with a 64, and Jon Rahm finished strongly over the weekend to seal fourth place, four shots behind Reed. Tiger Woods, at one stage the pre-tournament bookies’ favourite, finished with a 69 for a share of 32nd place, and climbed into the top-100 of the world rankings (88th) for the first time in three years.
