Patrick Reed, often called ‘Captain America’, edged home by one shot on Sunday to win his second WGC-Championship.
When the 29-year-old 2018 Masters champion won it for the first time in 2014, the event was called the WGC-Cadillac Championship. When he won it again on Sunday after closing with a 6-under 65, it was as the WGC-Mexico Championship.
The cocky Texan birdied four of the last seven holes to finish with an 18-under 72-hole total. That was an excellent score at Club de Golf Chapultepec. It got him home one shot clear of fellow American Bryson DeChambeau, who shot a six-under 65. In addition it earned Reed his 8th PGA title. He has also won three times on the European Tour.
Reed bogeyed his “ugly hole”, the 18th, but it mattered not. Three straight birdies from holes 15 to 17 were enough to hold off DeChambeau, 3rd round leader Justin Thomas and1st-round leader and World No 1 Rory McIlroy.
In the end, Thomas who stumbled to a 2-over 73 fell back to 6th and McIlroy to 5th after a closing 3-under 68.
Instead, the men who tied for third behind Reed and DeChambeau were the big Spaniard John Rahm (67) and the South African Eric van Rooyen (70).
Reed overjoyed
A beaming Reed was visibly overjoyed with his latest triumph. He said: “My team and I we’ve worked so hard through the end of last year and into the beginning of this year.
“We kept on feeling like we were playing some good golf, but we just weren’t quite able to get over that hump.
“To come back and win my second World Golf Championship, especially with how I had to finish basically 15 onwards; that was special. The last hole was ugly but it was alI I needed to get the job done. At the end of the day just putting yourself in these positions on a Sunday is just unbelievable, it’s a great feeling.
“I can’t wait to go home and celebrate with the little ones and my wife and bring them home a trophy.”
Reed earned his nick-name, Captain America, during his mostly successful run in the last three Ryder Cup matches between the USA and Europe.
His overly aggressive fist-pumps and attitude in general constantly had America supporters roaring their heads off. It certainly didn’t make him very popular with European players and their supporters, though. Even some Americans felt it was over the top stuff, especially in his first Ryder Cup in 2014.
McIlroy is NJ bookies’ favorite
Meantime, with 2020’s first major, the Masters, fast approaching, how does he stand with the New Jersey sports book industry? His 2018 Green Jacket doesn’t seem to count too much, it seems. Nor does his latest WGC title.
The bulk of the Garden States’s sportsbooks had him back in joint 8th place on their list of favourites on Monday. He was being offered at odds of around +2500 together with fellow Americans Ricky Fowler and Jordan Spieth and English Olympic champion Justin Rose.
Leading the field right now is McIlroy (+700) with Rahm, Brooks Koepke and Tiger Woods, joint second at odds of +1000.
Reed produces fine finish to win WGC-Mexico Championship
American Patrick Reed produced a fine finish to win the WGC-Mexico Championship.
Win No. 8 for @PReedGolf. ???? pic.twitter.com/3y2d0UZGnw
— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) February 24, 2020