Page 18 - ARUBA TODAY

A18 SPORTS
Tuesday 13 augusT 2019
Reed wins big events and now just needs to win more

By DOUG FERGUSON to 4 feet to a front pin and
AP Golf Writer made another birdie.
JERSEY CITY, N.J. (AP) — Then, it was a matter of
Patrick Reed still hasn't holding off Abraham An-
reached top five in the cer, and Reed was holding
world. another trophy.
He is a Masters champi- Winning is hard. Winning is
on. He won a World Golf what matters. What keeps
Championship five years Reed from the elite in golf
ago, when he first said he — no matter how much he
felt he was among the top pumps his fists when play-
five in golf. He now has two ing for the flag in the Ryder
victories in the opening Cup or Presidents Cup — is
FedEx Cup playoff event, winning with more regular-
which can make a case as ity.
having one of the strongest That's what makes the top
fields of the year this side of five in the world stand out.
a major. Brooks Koepka has won
It's what happens in be- each of the last six years,
tween these big wins that is including four of the last 10
holding him back. majors. Dustin Johnson has
A lot of golf. Not a lot of tro- Patrick Reed tips his cap on the 18th hole as he wins on the Northern Trust golf tournament at Lib- gone only one year without
phies. erty National Golf Course, Sunday, Aug. 11, 2019, in Jersey City, N.J. winning on the PGA Tour
Dating to his victory at Ka- Associated Press since he turned pro. Justin
palua in the Tournament Rose is on his 10th straight
of Champions to start the The victory ended a win a golf tournament than on the par-3 14th, which year winning on the PGA
2015 season, Reed had drought of 41 tournaments have eight second places." he hit so perfectly that it Tour. Rory McIlroy only had
played 148 times world- over 16 months since the Reed showed the kind of caught the ridge and fed one drought, and one year
wide with just two victories. 2018 Masters, his most re- game at Liberty National down to 8 feet for a birdie. without a title starting in
One of those came with a cent victory. It wasn't from that makes him believe so That was important be- 2009. Rahm is just starting
green jacket from Augusta a lack of effort. much in what he can do. cause Jon Rahm, who had out, but he has six wins in his
National. That makes up for "I don't like long gaps," Reed He lost an early lead Sun- a two-shot lead, and just three full years as a pro.
a lot. said after his one-shot vic- day at The Northern Trust. made bogey on the 14th. For Reed, this is the next
Reed ended another long tory. "It's not fun, you know Even with his caddie chas- Reed said his caddie — step. "The longer that time
drought Sunday when he what I mean? I've always ing off geese from the brother-in-law Kessler Kara- period is in between wins,
rallied from a two-shot played to win golf tourna- 13th fairway, he failed to in — told him, "You have to it just makes it tougher,"
deficit in the final hour to ments. I've always wanted birdie the par 5 and was have him feel that bogey." he said. "I was pushing too
win The Northern Trust. It to compete to win. I'm not two shots behind with time On the next hole, Reed hard and was trying harder
was timely because it as- really satisfied with a sec- running out and not many kept the momentum and and all of a sudden, it was
sured him a spot in the Tour ond, third, fourth, 10th. ... birdie holes left. And then the lead by saving par with going the wrong direc-
Championship and raised You'll have good finishes in he seized control with a lit- a 10-foot putt. And then he tion. My team was smart
his odds of having a shot at there, but as a competitor, tle imagination and plenty drilled his tee shot about 25 enough to tell me to back
the $15 million prize for the you ask any of the guys out of grit. yards short of the 296-yard off, shut it down and reset
FedEx Cup. here in the top 10, 15 in the It started with a pitching 16th hole with water down and get clear, because we
It also was overdue. world, they would rather wedge to a back right pin the right side, pitched that can finish the year right. q

Suzann Pettersen handed

Solheim Cup wild card

ropean captain Catriona both times the event has in competition ... It's a mas-
Matthew's vice-captains. been staged in Scotland, sive honor for me to be
"I was honored to be a vice- at Dalmahoy in 1992 and here and I can't wait, this is
captain but I would much Loch Lomond in 2000. what I love. I feel like I was
rather play," the 38-year- Pettersen, a two-time ma- born for this."
old Pettersen said. jor winner, took time off in The eight automatic quali-
Matthew also gave wild 2018 to have a baby. She fiers for the Europe team
In this Thursday, July 13, 2017 file photo, Suzann Pettersen, of cards to France's Celine only returned to action last — Anne Van Dam, Char-
Norway, watches her tee shot on the ninth hole during the first Boutier and English pair month, partnering Matthew ley Hull, Georgia Hall, Car-
round of the U.S. Women's Open Golf tournament, in Bedminster,
N.J. Bronte Law and Jodi Ewart in the Dow Great Lakes Bay lota Ciganda, Caroline
Associated Press Shadoff to complete the Invitational in Michigan Hedwall, Azahara Munoz,
12-strong team which will where they missed the cut. Caroline Masson and Anna
GLENEAGLES, Scotland November 2017. try to avoid a third straight "It's been a different role Nordqvist — were finalized
(AP) — Norway's Suzann Pettersen will make her defeat to the United States. for me the last two years," after last week's Scottish
Pettersen was given a Sol- ninth appearance in the The Americans have domi- Pettersen said. "My life has Open.
heim Cup wild card Mon- Solheim Cup at Gleneagles nated the Solheim Cup, changed a lot, for the bet- U.S. captain Juli Inskter is set
day despite having played next month. She was origi- winning 10 out of 15 edi- ter, but I've missed golf and to name her team at the
just two tournaments since nally appointed one of Eu- tions, but Europe has won am very happy to be back end of the month.q