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SPORTS Friday 26 OctOber 2018
Reed opens with 64 to take lead at HSBC Champions

SHANGHAI (AP) — Patrick McIlroy also was wild at
Reed had a Ryder Cup times off the tee, though
he'd like to forget and it really only cost him on
spent three weeks at home the short 16th hole. He
in Texas preparing to finish punched out the trees by
the year strong. inverting his wedge to play
He was at his best Thursday a left-handed shot, but
in the HSBC Champions. then flubbed his flop shot
Even in blustery conditions, into a bunker, blasted that
Reed putted for birdie on over the green and made
every hole at Sheshan In- double bogey. He wound
ternational and closed up with a 72.
out his bogey-free round Reed, playing an hour
with a 25-foot birdie putt ahead of the final group,
for an 8-under 64, giving drove onto the front of
him a two-shot lead over the 16th green for a two-
Tony Finau and Xander putt birdie. He started to
Schauffele. stretch his lead after mak-
"It felt really good, be- ing the turn, holing a 12-
cause if you can go out foot birdie putt on No. 1,
and shoot rounds like that two-putting for birdie on
in these kind of conditions, the par-5 second and then
you know you're going to Patrick Reed of the United States lines up his shot during the HSBC Champions golf tournament hitting a wedge to 6 feet
have confidence when the held at the Sheshan International Golf Club in Shanghai, Thursday, Oct. 25, 2018. for birdie on No. 3. He had
wind dies down and there Associated Press several other good looks at
are perfect conditions out birdie, and as good as his
there," Reed said. Jim Furyk for leaving Reed back to 1 over for the round anything but that — John- 64 was on Thursday, it was
Schauffele also managed on the bench twice during until back-to-back bogeys. son, Rory McIlroy and Fran- about the worst he could
a bogey-free round in wind the week. Defending champion Jus- cesco Molinari combined have shot. "I was hitting the
strong enough to be a two- Reed, the Masters champi- tin Rose, who last year ral- to shoot 6-over par. Moli- ball really solid," Reed said.
club difference at times. on, headed home to Hous- lied from eight shots be- nari, the British Open cham- "I was hitting irons where
He saved par on the final ton and after a few days hind to win after Johnson pion and Ryder Cup star as I was looking and I was
hole at No. 9 from the right of rest went right back to closed with a 77, hit a few the first European to go 5-0 able to control it, not only
rough with an approach work. wild drives of his own but for the week, made three directional-wise but also
that narrowly cleared the "From that point, my coach atoned for those with plen- straight bogeys around the trajectories and what kind
water into a patch of fair- and I have been out there ty of birdies in his round of turn and had no birdies on of heights I wanted to hit
way short of the green, a fine-tuning everything," 69. The feature group was his back nine. it. q
pitch-and-run to 10 feet Reed said. "Just trying to set
and another solid putt. goals to finish the year off
Matt Fitzpatrick had five right."
straight birdies to over- Reed led a strong American
come a rough start and presence atop the leader-
post a 67. board, nothing new at the
Brooks Koepka, in his debut World Golf Championships
at No. 1 in the world, didn't this year. The U.S. is trying
deliver much excitement. to become the first country
He had 16 pars, one bogey to have four players win all
and one birdie for a 72. He four World Golf Champion-
was stunned when his sec- ships in one year after Phil
ond shot in the par-5 18th Mickelson won the Mexi-
spun off the front of the co Championship, Bubba
green and into the water, Watson won the Match
forcing him to scramble for Play and Justin Thomas
par at the turn instead of won the Bridgestone Invi-
an easy birdie or better. tational at Firestone. Dustin
"I felt like I played good Johnson wouldn't figure to
enough to shoot 4- or 5-un- contribute to that oppor-
der par," Koepka said. "It tunity. Johnson lost a six-
was those momentum- shot lead in the final round
building shots." a year ago at the HSBC
Reed was last seen win- Champions, and he was
ning a meaningless singles wild as ever in opening with
match at Le Golf National a 74 on Thursday.
after Europe was well on He twice had more than
its way to victory. The last 150 yards for his third shot
he was heard from was a into par 4s, and made dou-
telephone interview with ble bogey on the 15th hole.
The New York Times an hour He was happy to find his
after Europe won, blaming tee shot on the par-5 18th
Jordan Spieth for them not and had to make a 10-foot
playing together in the Ry- putt just to salvage bogey.
der Cup and U.S. captain Johnson scratched his way