Patrick Reed seems to draw a very special strength when challenged. This Sunday, Captain ‘America made short work of the South Torrey Pines course despite the controversy surrounding a drop the day before (see below).
While he started at -10 total, tied with Carlos Ortiz, the winner of the Masters 2018 patiently woven his web. Four starts to start, then a monstrous 14m putt for eagle at 7 just to start the machine. Two birdies were going to frame the only error of the day at 8 (bogey) for a go crossed in 33 moves.
If we once believed that Viktor Hovland could come and tickle Reed by going to -4, the young Norwegian (23 years old) conceded three bogeys at the worst moment: 14, 15 and 17. At the same time, Patrick Reed continued the starts on the return trip and even offered himself a final birdie at the 18th to conclude an unchallenged domination. At -14 total, he is five strokes ahead of a quintet made up of Viktor Hovland, Tony Finau, Xander Sc Chaudele, Ryan Palmer and Henrik Norlander.
« Mentally, I really tried to stay on the courseReed explained after lifting the trophy. With everything that happened yesterday …Despite everything, I felt comfortable throughout this day. I had no reason to feel any different anyway. I was able to post a good score and pocket the victory. »
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With nine titles on the PGA Tour, Patrick Reed joins players like Severiano Ballesteros, Bobby Jones and Nick Faldo on the list.
Victory beyond controversy
This ninth success of Patrick Reed on the PGA Tour has, despite accounting appearances, been very agitated. The day before, a drop by the American to 10 of this same southern course ignited the golf sphere. In short, after dropping a face-off in the thick rough of Torrey Pines, Reed felt his ball was plugged (embedded in his own impact). And as the rule allows in such a case, he could pick it up, clean it, and drop it within inches of its impact. Until then, no worries.
The procedure is that the player calls his partner / scorer or a referee to certify the “plug” before anything else. What the American did at first by calling a referee. But, before the official even got there, Reed had already picked up his ball. The referee could only see as he could what the player said and the drop was made.
It is this detail (of weight) that was controversial. Especially since, having to respond to the emerging controversy, Reed himself, through his own Twitter account, pointed out Rory McIlroy, also author on the same day of a similar drop in the rough at 18.
The officials of the PGA Tour, in either case, found no irregularities in the way the situations were handled by the two players. But the storm is still raging around these judged drops ” very limited By many observers.
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