Patrick Reed has overcome final-round stumbles to sink a 10-foot putt for birdie on the first extra hole and win a four-way playoff to land his first LIV Golf victory.
The 2018 Masters champion triumphed from Louis Oosthuizen, Paul Casey and Jinichiro Kozuma at LIV Golf Dallas on Sunday – securing his first professional tournament win in his home state.
“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.”
A product of San Antonio, Reed went into the final round at Maridoe Golf Club with a three-shot advantage.
He didn’t do himself many favours in trying to wrap up the win until that playoff birdie, suffering through five bogeys over his first nine holes on the way to a three-over-par 75.
Casey shot an even par 72 while Kozuma and Oosthuizen fired matching four-under 68s as Reed matched them with a six under total.
Cameron Smith was the best of the Australians after a closing 68 to tie for 13th, four shots outside the playoff. Marc Leishman (74) was tied 25th while Lucas Herbert (78) tied for 40th and Matt Jones (71) tied 46th.
The Aussies’ four-man Ripper GC finished tied seventh in the team competiton but a whopping 36 shots behind the Crushers GC of Casey, Bryson DeChambeau, Charles Howell and Anirbhan Lahiri who won by 11 shots at 18 under.
Reed was glad to have been able to hold his round together just enough to force the playoff.
“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.
“I told myself that hey, the putts have to start falling.”
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, opening the door for Reed’s heroics.
Four players finished a single shot back in a tie for fifth – Charles Howell III (68), Tom McKibbin (69), Harold Varner III (72) and Tyrrell Hatton (72).