Native Texan Patrick Reed sank a 10-foot putt to make birdie on a playoff hole Sunday, claiming his first LIV victory and first tournament victory in his home state at the LIV Golf Dallas in Carrollton, Texas.
“I think the biggest relief is finally winning in my home state,” Reed said. “They popped that news to me that I haven’t won in Texas, so to finally get that done meant a lot. Obviously to get my first win here, part of LIV, meant so much to me.”
Reed, a product of San Antonio, came into the day with a three-shot advantage at Maridoe Golf Club. He didn’t do himself many favors in trying to wrap up the win until that huge birdie late, as Reed suffered through five bogeys over his first nine holes on the way to a 3-over-par 75.
“I seemed to leave every putt short, and just kind of putting pretty tentative,” Reed said. “Today, even though the score was high compared to where it should have been, it was kind of one of those days that when you don’t make putts, any little thing that’s off is going to cost you. The good thing is I had a big enough lead there to hold it together.”
To his credit, Reed, 34, did manage two birdies among his rocky front nine at Nos. 1 and 7, and then he stabilized, shooting par over the final nine to give himself an opportunity to pull it off in the playoff — which he did.
“I knew at some point that you’re going to have to deal with some adversity,” Reed said. “It always happens every tournament, no matter when you win. You always have to deal with something. I had to deal with just the ball not going in and watching everyone get closer and closer and actually the lead there at one point.
“I told myself that hey, the putts have to start falling.”
Three golfers finished tied with Reed after 54 holes at 6-under-par 210. England’s Paul Casey was even at 72 on Sunday, while Japan’s Jinichiro Kozuma and South Africa’s Louis Oosthuizen shot matching 4-under 68s.
Kozuma and Oosthuizen had actually come all the way back to grab the lead going into the par-4, 528-yard No. 18, but each suffered bogeys on the penultimate hole, opening the door for Reed’s heroics.
“On the 18th I bogeyed, so that was kind of a little letdown,” Kozuma said. “But still, all in all, it was really great, and I’m really satisfied with the day today, how it went today.”
It was ultimately a tight field, with four more players finishing a single shot back in a tie for fifth at 5 under: Charles Howell III (68 on Sunday), Northern Ireland’s Tom McKibbin (69), Harold Varner III (72) and England’s Tyrrell Hatton (72).
Bryson DeChambeau’s Crushers GC (18 under) dominated the team standings to take the event by 11 shots. Casey’s and Howell’s big showings certainly helped, though DeChambeau (4 under) and teammate Anirban Lahiri of India (3 under) didn’t hurt things.
The Dustin Johnson-captained 4Aces GC (7 under) finished second with Reed leading the way, while Jon Rahm’s Legion XIII (6 under) was third.
–Field Level Media
