Patrick Reed stumbled down the stretch but had enough left to claim his fifth PGA Tour victory.
Despite making bogeys on two of the last three holes, Reed closed with a 1-under-par 70 to capture The Barclays by one stroke over Sean O’Hair and Emiliano Grillo of Argentina at Bethpage Black in Farmingdale, N.Y.
“It’s awesome,” said Reed, who won for the first time since the Hyundai Tournament of Champions to start last year. “Going down the last hole with the lead was just amazing.
“I’ve been working hard and I knew I was heading in the right direction, but it’s been a little slow, so it was nice to finally close one out.”
Reed, who took the lead in the FedEx Cup standings after the first playoff event, recorded a winning score of 9-under 275.
O’Hair shot 66, equaling the best score of the day, while Grillo sank an eight-foot birdie putt on the last hole for a 69 to also grab a piece of second.
Top-ranked Jason Day of Australia sank a 71-foot birdie putt on the 15th hole on his way to a 69 and finished two shots back in a tie for fourth with Gary Woodland, who also had a 69, and seventh-ranked Adam Scott of Australia, who wound up at 71.
Eighth-ranked Rickie Fowler, the 54-hole leader, battled Reed for the lead all day before making a double bogey and two bogeys down the stretch to post a 74 and finished three strokes behind in a tie for seventh with Ryan Moore and Jason Kokrak, who both came in at 69.
Third-ranked Jordan Spieth carded another 69 and tied for 10th, seventh-ranked Bubba Watson (66) and Phil Mickelson (68) tied for 13th, second-ranked Dustin Johnson (73) tied for 18th, while Olympic champion Justin Rose (71) of England and fifth-ranked Rory McIlroy (73) tied for 31st.
