adminMIAMI. — Patrick Reed says beating a star-studded golf field to capture the WGC-Cadillac Championship on Sunday shows he is among the top five players in the world.The 23-year-old American said his impressive amateur resume combined with his three wins on the PGA Tour in seven months puts him in elite company.
“I’ve worked so hard. I won a lot in junior career, did great things in amateur career, was 6-0 in match play at NCAA’s, won NCAA’s two years in a row . . . and now I have three wins out here on the PGA Tour,” said Reed, who shot a closing even-par 72 to win the event by one stroke on Sunday.
“I don’t see a lot of guys who have done that other than Tiger Woods and the legends of the game. I am one of the top five players in the world. I feel I have proven myself.”
While world number 20 Reed basks in the glow of his latest victory, Tiger Woods is left to pick up the pieces after one of the worst Sundays of his career.
Woods stumbled to the finish with six-over 78. Woods, who won this event for the seventh time in 2013, played through the pain of a nagging bad back.
Reed finished at four under 284 to beat runner-ups Welshman Jamie Donaldson and American Bubba Watson.
Donaldson shot a two-under 70 to grab a share of second along with 2012 runner-up Watson, who had a four-under 68 in the US$9 million tournament.
Donaldson made birdie on No. 17 to get within one, but he bogeyed 18.
South Africa’s Richard Sterne (71) and American Dustin Johnson (72) tied for fourth at even-par 288. Stephen Gallacher (69), Thailand’s Thongchai Jaidee (68) and Bill Haas (71) were one stroke back at plus-one. — AFP.
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