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A20 SPORTS
Monday 12 august 2019
Reed delivers clutch putts to win FedEx Cup opener

By DOUG FERGUSON matic qualifiers for the Pres- Reed began his move with
AP Golf Writer idents Cup, which will be a pitching wedge that
JERSEY CITY, N.J. (AP) decided after next week. caught the ridge at the
— Patrick Reed picked He finished at 16-under 268 back of the 14th green per-
a good time to end 16 and won for the seventh fectly, sending it down to
months without a victory. time in his career on the 8 feet for birdie. He was in
Reed fell behind early, was PGA Tour. thick rough right of the 15th
still two shots behind on the Ancer felt like a winner green and looked certain
back nine at Liberty Na- when it was over. He also to drop a shot when he
tional and then rolled in played bogey-free over holed a 10-foot putt for par.
three straight putts — one the final 12 holes, and his And then he pitched per-
for par, two for birdies — birdie on the 17th gave him fectly from 25 yards short of
that allowed him to over- hope. But his approach to the 16th green to about 4
take Jon Rahm and hold the 18th came down below feet for birdie.
off Abraham Ancer to win a ridge, and his long birdie The top 70 in the FedEx
The Northern Trust. putt to force a playoff went Cup advance to the BMW
Reed closed with a 2-under some 6 feet by the cup. He Championship next week
69 after a breezy afternoon Associated Press made that to finish alone in at Medinah, so there were
in which a half-dozen play- good time to get a 'W.'" victory vaulted him to No. 2 second, his best PGA Tour other players who took
ers were in the mix on the Reed had such mediocre in the FedEx Cup. finish. home consolation prizes.
back nine. results by his standards that His place at the Tour Cham- That was enough to send One of the strongest bids
"It's been a little too long," he began the FedEx Cup pionship is secure. His odds him from No. 67 to No. 8, belonged to Joaquin Nie-
said Reed, whose last vic- playoffs at No. 50 and was of the $15 million prize in- with more perks that he mann of Chile, who was in
tory was the 2018 Masters. only assured of two events. creased greatly. could count. the middle of the pack and
"What better place to do Points count four times as It still wasn't enough for him Ancer is a lock to make it knew it would be close.
it than here. It's definitely a much in the playoffs, so the to get in the top eight auto- to the Tour Championship He slammed his iron into the
in two weeks, meaning he turf on the 15th when he
earns his first spot in the hit into a bunker, such was
Masters. He wrapped up pressure on him. Niemann
a spot on the International made a 6-foot par save
team for the Presidents there, drove the green on
Cup, making him the first the 296-yard 16th hole for
Mexican in the event. birdie, saved another par
"When I finished, I was a on the 17th and closed
little down because I didn't with a 66.
get it done and I feel like I He tied for 30th, enough to
played good," Ancer said. move up four spots and get
"But then getting all this the 70th spot.
news that I'm going to the Varner might have had the
Tour Championship, play- biggest day in that regard.
ing all the majors, going to He started the PGA Tour
Masters, all that, I was like, postseason at No. 102, and
'Man, this is not too bad.' while he came up two shot
I'm extremely happy, proud of his first PGA Tour victory,
of the way I performance. I his tie for third moved him
still obviously want that W, to No. 29. That not only gets
but really proud with all the him in the BMW Champion-
boxes that I checked off to- ship, he has a realistic shot
day." at East Lake.
Rahm wasn't quite that Adam Scott, who won at
happy. Liberty National the last
He made a 12-foot birdie time the FedEx Cup Open-
putt on No. 12 and reached er was here, closed with
the par-5 13th in two to set a 65 and finished alone in
up another birdie, giving fifth.
him a two-shot lead. And Jordan Spieth made prog-
then it all fell apart for the ress.
Spaniard. He was on the "This is an eventful Sunday,"
wrong side of the green at he said after walking off the
the par-3 14th and three- seventh green. That was his
putted for bogey from 50 first par of the round. He
feet. His tee shot narrowly got within two shots when
found a bunker on the he holed a bunker shot at
15th, leaving him no shot No. 12 and eventually set-
at reaching the green, and tled for a 67 that featured
he had to scramble for bo- only 21 putts. Spieth moved
gey from the thick grass be- from No. 69 to No. 44.
hind the green. He tied for sixth with Rory
Rahm never caught up, McIlroy and Louis Oosthui-
closed with a 69 and tied zen, who each shot 69, and
for third with Harold Varner Brandt Snedeker, who had
III. a 71.q