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PATRICK REED

This Masters tradition is a pictorial surprise for champions

This Masters tradition is a pictorial surprise for champions

Reed, who won in 2018, says he doesn't keep a lot of golf photos in his office or around the house in Houston. Kuchar rolled his putt up to 3 feet, Scheffler hit wedge to 40 feet for his fourth shot and Kuchar won the hole. Kuchar won his consolation match. Long won the British Amateur last summer and will play in the Masters next week. The Austrian Golf Open returns to the European Tour schedule and will be played the week after the Masters.

An opening day of emotions and a few surprises at Match Play

An opening day of emotions and a few surprises at Match Play

In the Dell Technologies Match Play, every day can feel like Sunday. “I turned out to hit that shot really well, went super high over the trees. It was his biggest loss in Match Play since Ben Crane beat him, 8 and 7, in the second round of 2011. Kevin Kisner, the defending champion from 2019 — the Match Play was the third event to be canceled last year because of the COVID-19 pandemic — won his seventh straight match by beating Louis Oosthuizen. When you're up against an opponent who plays really, really well and you play just a little better, it's really satisfying."

Morikawa plays a steady hand to win Workday Championship

Morikawa plays a steady hand to win Workday Championship

And there was a tribute to Tiger Woods, his golf idol growing up. “We don't say ‘Thank you’ enough,” Morikawa said, referring to how much Woods has raised the profile and prize money in golf. He finished at 18-under 270 and became the 24th player to win a major and a World Golf Championship title since this series began in 1999. Outside of a chunked chip on the second hole that made him scramble for bogey, Morikawa didn't miss a fairway the rest of the way and was rarely out of position. “If there was no Tiger Woods, I just the think the tour and the game of golf in general would be in a worse place.

Morikawa's late stumble gives Workday contenders a chance

Morikawa's late stumble gives Workday contenders a chance

Morikawa walked off the 12th hole with his seventh birdie in eight holes, stretching his lead to five shots with two par 5s still to play. He made bogey on both, shot a 5-under 67 and suddenly had four-time major champion Brooks Koepka and Billy Horschel on his tail. “I didn’t play great the last six, but a lot to learn from heading into tomorrow,” Morikawa said. Horschel also had a late rally with an eagle on the par-5 17th hole and shot 69. “I just kept rolling in birdie after birdie.

Day after rules controversy, Reed wins at Torrey Pines

Day after rules controversy, Reed wins at Torrey Pines

(AP Photo/Gregory Bull)SAN DIEGO – Showing no effects from a rules controversy a day earlier, Patrick Reed pulled away for a five-shot victory Sunday in the Farmers Insurance Open. Reed closed with a 4-under 68 at Torrey Pines, making an eagle on the par-5 sixth and finishing off his ninth PGA Tour title with a birdie on the 18th. Reed told the official that no one in his group, as well as a nearby volunteer, saw it bounce. AdOn Sunday, Reed jump-started his round with a 45-foot eagle putt on the No. He played par the rest of the way until sinking an 8-foot birdie putt on No.

Reed dodges controversy to share 54-hole lead at Farmers

Reed dodges controversy to share 54-hole lead at Farmers

(AP Photo/Gregory Bull)SAN DIEGO – Patrick Reed was involved in another rules controversy Saturday in the Farmers Insurance Open at Torrey Pines. Believing the ball didn't bounce, Reed picked it up to see if it was embedded before a rules official arrived. Reed told the official that no one in his group, as well as a nearby volunteer, saw it bounce. “At that point we go with what the rules official said and also with what the volunteers and what we see,” Reed said. Reed shared the lead with Alex Noren after the first round and was one shot off the lead after 36 holes.

Viktor Hovland vaults into Farmers lead at wet Torrey Pines

Viktor Hovland vaults into Farmers lead at wet Torrey Pines

Viktor Hovland, left, of Norway, waits to putt on the eighth hole of the South Course during the second round of the Farmers Insurance Open golf tournament at Torrey Pines, Friday, Jan. 29, 2021, in San Diego. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull)SAN DIEGO – Viktor Hovland birdied his final for a 7-under 65 on Torrey Pines’ tough South Course on a rainy, miserable Friday, giving him a one-shot lead after two rounds of the Farmers Insurance Open. Reed shot an even-par 72 on the South Course a day after firing an 8-under 64 on the easier North Course. AdThe weather is supposed to clear up for the weekend rounds on the South Course. “I just played really solid and made some putts.”He had just one bogey, on the par-4 15th.

Reed, Noren beat the rain to take 1st-round lead in Farmers

Reed, Noren beat the rain to take 1st-round lead in Farmers

Reed, Noren and Scottie Scheffler — who was one stroke back — all played Torrey Pines' easier North Course and will play the South Course on what could be a wet Friday. After a 321-yard tee shot, he hit his approach to 16 feet and made the putt. Noren, from Sweden, also took advantage of nice weather to get a low score on the North Course. Yeah, I think anytime you shoot 68 on the South Course here you’ve got to be pretty happy." He was replaced by fellow APGA player Willie Mack III, who shot a 2-over 74 on the South Course.

Schauffele recovers from COVID-19, optimistic about new year

Schauffele recovers from COVID-19, optimistic about new year

Schauffele is among 16 players in the Tournament of Champions who didn't win last year. His girlfriend came down with COVID-19 in the middle of December, and a few days later, Schauffele tested positive and eventually had minor symptoms. Schauffele is among 16 players at Kapalua who failed to win an official event, though he did have the lowest 72-hole score at the Tour Championship. The winners-only field is including players who reached the Tour Championship because golf was shut down for three months due to the pandemic. Schauffele already has played four times in the new season, which began in September, and that includes two majors.

Morikawa, Reed bid to become America's first European No 1

Morikawa, Reed bid to become America's first European No 1

Collin Morikawa hasn’t hit a golf shot in Europe this year. On Sunday, the American could be crowned as European No. “There’s a lot in between now and Sunday that has to happen,” Morikawa said Wednesday, “but winning the Race to Dubai would mean a lot because I want my game to travel. Such are the many strands and quirks to a European Tour season that has become very global in recent years. Reed leads the Race to Dubai standings with 2,427.7 points heading into the 38th and final event of a European Tour season like no other.

Dustin Johnson's pursuers at Masters hardly a Murderers' Row

Dustin Johnson's pursuers at Masters hardly a Murderers' Row

Mexico's Abraham Ancer, South Korea's Sungjae Im and Australia's Cameron Smith were at 12-under 204 through 54 holes, four shots behind Johnson's pace-setting score. Ancer and Im are playing the Masters for the first time, which doesn't bode well for their chances. But he was hardly a contender, going to the final round 11 shots off the lead. “Anyone with a four-shot lead is expected to win,” Smith said. “I watched the Masters growing up so many times that I feel like I’m used to playing this course,” Im said through a translator.

Casey rides the buzz of Masters history to 65 and early lead

Casey rides the buzz of Masters history to 65 and early lead

Paul Casey matched his lowest score at the Masters with a 7-under 65, giving him a two-shot lead among half the field fortunate to play in perfect scoring conditions. It was the fifth hole, which he bogeyed all four rounds last year when he won the Masters. He was joined by Xander Schauffele, a runner-up to Woods last year, who had seven birdies in his round of 67. The delay was the last thing the Masters needed with limited daylight hours leading to the two-tee start. The loudest cheer — applause, certainly not a roar — came for Nicklaus and Player hitting tee shots so early that they couldn't see where they landed.

A return to Sherwood for Tiger, Mickelson but few others

A return to Sherwood for Tiger, Mickelson but few others

FILE - In this Oct. 28, 2019, file photo, Tiger Woods celebrates after winning the Zozo Championship golf tournament at the Accordia Golf Narashino country club in Inzai, east of Tokyo, Japan. The Zozo Championship is the second Asia-based event to move to the United States this year because of the COVID-19 pandemic. PGA champion Collin Morikawa was at Sherwood back then, as a young spectator looking for an autograph (he didn't get it). The happiest memories belong to Woods, who won his tournament five times at Sherwood and was runner-up on five other occasions. The Zozo Championship made its debut last year in Japan, and it was a big success despite rain that wiped out one day and led to a Monday finish.

Grind turns into back-nine nightmare for Reed at US Open

Grind turns into back-nine nightmare for Reed at US Open

Patrick Reed, of the United States, reacts after missing a putt on the eighth green during the third round of the US Open Golf Championship, Saturday, Sept. 19, 2020, in Mamaroneck, N.Y. (AP Photo/John Minchillo)Patrick Reed loves the grind. It was replaced by a two-hour barrage of missed fairways and terrible lies, all exacerbated by a putter that seemed to deteriorate by the minute. Reed made six bogeys and a double over the back nine and shot 8-over-par 43 to finish his day at 7-over 77. “Well, I got all my bad shots out of the way,” Reed said when asked what he took from the round. Over the last nine holes, Reed missed seven of eight fairways, and averaged 1.77 putts.

California cool, Matthew Wolff takes detour to US Open lead

California cool, Matthew Wolff takes detour to US Open lead

The only number that mattered to the 21-year-old Californian was a two-shot lead going into the final round. “Anyone in my position would be frustrated, especially with having the lead going into today," Reed said. It’s the U.S. Open, and I have a lead,” Wolff said. “I’m going to try to keep my nerves as calm as they can be. I did everything that I could do up until this point, and tomorrow I’m going to go out there, I promise you I’m going to try my best.”He was at 5-under 205.

The Latest: Matsuyama still in contention at U.S. Open

The Latest: Matsuyama still in contention at U.S. Open

Lee completed an 8-over 78 at Winged Foot, but decided after the round he couldn't continue. ___3:20 p.m.Paul Casey had the second score under par Saturday at Winged Foot, which told only half the story. “In all honesty, I kind of wanted to walk in after the first five, six, seven holes,” Casey said. ___2:05 p.m.Alex Noren showed the leaders that low scores can be had at Winged Foot in the third round of the U.S. Open. Typical for a U.S. Open at Winged Foot.

Even without hostile NY crowds, this US Open is tough enough

Even without hostile NY crowds, this US Open is tough enough

Maybe because the two players atop the leaderboard heading into Round 3 at the U.S. Open are not exactly — how to put this? More irritating, from the players’ perspective, is that Reed seems to thrive in tough spots like the one he finds himself in at the moment. If the past is prologue, almost no one else on the ground at Winged Foot has a realistic shot. The one thing you can be sure of is that Winged Foot will be at the center of the drama. “The wind can make a par-3 course difficult, so put that on a U.S. Open setup, it’s going to be even more so,” Schauffele said.

Reed takes the lead as the real US Open gets started

Reed takes the lead as the real US Open gets started

Patrick Reed embraced every aspect of it Friday when the U.S. Open lived up to its reputation as the toughest test in golf, and so did Winged Foot. Amateur champion and current muscleman who powered and putted his way to a 68, the lowest score on a day Winged Foot played to an average score of 75.25. After an opening round in which 21 players broke par, Winged Foot allowed only three players under par. Because I’m pretty tired.”There's still 36 holes to go, and no indication that Winged Foot is going to get any easier. “I love when it’s hard, when you have to be creative on all different golf shots,” he said.

The Latest: Berger off to quick start in US Open 2nd round

The Latest: Berger off to quick start in US Open 2nd round

After a brutal second round at Winged Foot, the cut line fell at 6-over par, taking some big names with it. ___6:37 p.m.Patrick Reed has surged to the lead in a difficult second round at the U.S. Open. Thomas started the round at 5 under after posting a 65 for the lowest opening round at Winged Foot in a U.S. Open. ___11 a.m.Daniel Berger is making a move in the U.S. Open even as Winged Foot appears to be tougher on the golfers in the second round. ___Andrew Putnam withdrew from the U.S. Open at Winged Foot early in his second round.

US Open sees red in Round 1. Will Winged Foot strike back?

US Open sees red in Round 1. Will Winged Foot strike back?

Not coincidentally, the big question heading into Round 1 was whether the century-old course would prove too tough even for the world’s best golfers. In five previous Opens played at Winged Foot, only two players have ever finished the tournament under par. We’ll find out whether, and how much, the USGA feels stung by the assault on par beginning with Round 2. And there’s plenty of spots left on those fast greens where a clown’s mouth would actually be a welcome distraction. “They certainly were looking to have the lowest scores (in the first round), given the conditions that we have as well.

No cheers on empty course, but Reed's ace lifts him at Open

No cheers on empty course, but Reed's ace lifts him at Open

“Around here at Winged Foot, every golf shot you have to pay attention to because you hit one poor golf shot, a lot of things can happen out here.”Bad things. Although there are no fans on the course for the pandemic-delayed tournament, a few volunteers let out a holler. It was Reed’s second ace as a pro, having rolled one in on the 16th hole at the Houston Open in 2015. “An ace is an ace. “I’ve heard a lot of great things about the golf course, heard it’s a bear,” Reed said.