Patrick Reed has his green jacket, wins the 82nd Masters

Captain America capped a United States Slam on Sunday at the 82^nd Masters.

Patrick Reed, a 27-year-old Texan, won his first major championship by shooting a 1-under par 71 on Sunday to finish 15-under overall, one shot ahead of fellow young American golfer Rickie Fowler. With Reed’s victory, the reigning champion at all four major championships is now an American golfer in his 20s. Reed joins Brooks Koepka (U.S. Open), Jordan Spieth (The Open Championship) and Justin Thomas (PGA Championship).

“Every time you think about it as a kid growing up, you think, ‘This putt is to win the green jacket. This putt is to win the Masters,’” Reed said. “Today was definitely the hardest, mentally, a round of golf could possibly be.”

Reed, who earned a Masters-record check of $1.98 million for the victory, earned the nickname Captain America for his spirited and successful appearances in international competitions, including the 2016 Ryder Cup, where he outdueled Rory McIlroy in a raucous singles match that helped the Americans win the cup.

It looked like Reed was going to have to hold off McIlroy again, but the 28-year-old from Northern Ireland missed five putts from closer than 10 feet on the front nine and shot a 2-over 74 Sunday to finish tied for fifth at 9-under.

Instead, it was young Americans Rickie Fowler and Spieth who pushed Reed. Fowler shot a 5-under 67 on Sunday and birdied No. 18 to finish 14-under and force Reed to par his final hole to get the victory.

“I saw Jordan was off and running today,” Fowler said. “To see that was kind of a kick in the butt. I knew I needed a good back nine, but to see one of your buddies playing well, I knew what I needed to do. I am definitely happy with the week, but at the same time not happy that we finished second. I want that green jacket. We did everything we could, but Patrick went out there and earned it.”

Spieth, who has never finished lower than 11^th here in five career Masters appearances, missed the Augusta National course record by one shot Sunday. He started the day nine shots back and tied for ninth but at one point was tied with Reed for the lead on the back nine. Spieth shot an 8-under 64 on Sunday to finish 13-under overall and in third place. It was the best round by any golfer in this year’s tournament.

“I almost pulled off the impossible,” he said, adding he didn’t look at a scoreboard all day until after his final putt on No. 18. “I had no idea. When I finished and I looked at the board I could have been in the lead by two and I could have been down four. And neither one would have surprised me.”

“I was kind of glad he ran out of holes,” Reed said.

Reed, who is ranked No. 24 in the world, seems to revel in his Captain America persona. His yardage book cover is designed like an American flag and the umbrella he used during Saturday’s rainy round was from that 2016 Ryder Cup in which he bested McIlroy.

“He’s always just been a fighter,” Fowler said. “He’s always been very good at match play. I’m not sure where he got it but he’s been that way early on. It seems like a whole new animal comes out when he gets in Ryder Cup or Presidents Cup mode. I’m glad he’s on our team.”

Reed had missed the cut twice and finished tied for 22^nd and tied for 49^th in his four previous Masters appearances, but those who know him were not surprised to see him play well with the lead.

“Everybody really likes battling Patrick, because he loves it so much and eats it up,” Spieth said. “He’s a member of the Masters club now, he'll have a green jacket forever. His name is etched in history, and I'm sure he's going to carry everything that he went through today as we go into Paris and try to win a Ryder Cup on European soil.”

Reed becomes the fourth straight Masters winner to also win his first major championship in the process, joining Sergio Garcia in 2017, Danny Willett in 2016 and Spieth in 2015. He acknowledged that despite having played collegiately at Augusta State, he noticed that he was not a fan favorite Sunday and that McIlroy received a louder ovation than he did on the first tee.

“That’s another thing that played into my hand,” he said.

Columbia native Dustin Johnson shot a 3-under 69 Sunday to finish 7-under for the tournament and tied for 10^th. The world’s top-ranked golfer has now finished in the top 10 in each of the past three Masters in which he has competed.

Aiken’s Kevin Kisner finished even par Sunday and for the tournament to finish tied for 28^th, his best finish in three career Masters appearances.

Tiger Woods, the four-time Masters champion who has missed the past two turns at Augusta National because of back injuries, finished tied for 32^nd at 1-over for the tournament. He shot his first subpar round Sunday, a 69.

“My swing is slightly off,” he said. “I was pleased with the way I was able to drive it, but I just could not convert with my irons. I struggled with, obviously, controlling the shape. Can't control the shape. Can't control the distance. And it was one of those weeks in that regard.”

It was a completely different “one of those weeks” for Reed.

Masters purse breakdown

Patrick Reed: $1,980,000

Rickie Fowler: $1,180,000

Jordan Spieth: $748,000

Jon Rahm: $528,000

Cameron Smith, Bubba Watson, Henrik Stenson and Rory McIlroy: $356,000 each

Final Masters scores, leaderboard

Masters champions

2018 — Patrick Reed

2017 — Sergio Garcia

2016 — Danny Willett

2015 — Jordan Spieth

2014 — Bubba Watson

2013 — x-Adam Scott

2012 — x-Bubba Watson

2011 — Charl Schwartzel

2010 — Phil Mickelson

2009 — x-Angel Cabrera

2008 — Trevor Immelman

2007 — Zach Johnson

2006 — Phil Mickelson

2005 — x-Tiger Woods

2004 — Phil Mickelson

2003 — x-Mike Weir

2002 — Tiger Woods

2001 — Tiger Woods

2000 — Vijay Singh

1999 — Jose Maria Olazabal

1998 — Mark O'Meara

1997 — Tiger Woods

1996 — Nick Faldo

1995 — Ben Crenshaw

1994 — Jose Maria Olazabal

1993 — Bernhard Langer

1992 — Fred Couples

1991 — Ian Woosnam

1990 — x-Nick Faldo

1989 — x-Nick Faldo

1988 — Sandy Lyle

1987 — x-Larry Mize

1986 — Jack Nicklaus

1985 — Bernhard Langer

1984 — Ben Crenshaw

1983 — Seve Ballesteros

1982 — x-Craig Stadler

1981 — Tom Watson

1980 — Seve Ballesteros

1979 — x-Fuzzy Zoeller

1978 — Gary Player

1977 — Tom Watson

1976 — Raymond Floyd

1975 — Jack Nicklaus

1974 — Gary Player

1973 — Tommy Aaron

1972 — Jack Nicklaus

1971 — Charles Coody

1970 — x-Billy Casper

1969 — George Archer

1968 — Bob Goalby

1967 — Gay Brewer Jr.

1966 — x-Jack Nicklaus

1965 — Jack Nicklaus

1964 — Arnold Palmer

1963 — Jack Nicklaus

1962 — x-Arnold Palmer

1961 — Gary Player

1960 — Arnold Palmer

1959 — Art Wall Jr.

1958 — Arnold Palmer

1957 — Doug Ford

1956 — Jack Burke Jr.

1955 — Cary Middlecoff

1954 — x-Sam Snead

1953 — Ben Hogan

1952 — Sam Snead

1951 — Ben Hogan

1950 — Jimmy Demaret

1949 — Sam Snead

1948 — Claude Harmon

1947 — Jimmy Demaret

1946 — Herman Keiser

1945 — No tournament, WWII

1944 — No tournament, WWII

1943 — No tournament, WWII

1942 — x-Byron Nelson

1941 — Craig Wood

1940 — Jimmy Demaret

1939 — Ralph Guldahl

1938 — Henry Picard

1937 — Byron Nelson

1936 — Horton Smith

1935 — x-Gene Sarazen

1934 — Horton Smith

x-won playoff

This story was originally published April 8, 2018 at 2:58 PM with the headline "Patrick Reed has his green jacket, wins the 82nd Masters."