Patrick Reed heard Jordan Spieth, and then Rickie Fowler, coming all day but was able to hold on for his first major championship.
The 27-year-old Reed, who took a three-stroke lead to the final round, closed with a 1-under-par 71 that included one clutch putt after another, to win the 82nd Masters by one stroke over Fowler at Augusta National Golf Club in Augusta, Ga.
“To have to make a par on the last hole to win my first major just felt right,” said Reed, who wrapped up his sixth PGA Tour victory with a four-foot putt. “I knew closing out my first major, so close to where I went to college, was going to be tough and it was going to be close.
“I knew the lead would shrink, maybe grow a little, the flows of golf, and I knew I had to have the putter going, but I was able to keep my momentum and get the job done.”
Reed, who played college golf right down the road on two NCAA Championship teams at Augusta State, finished at 15-under 273.
The seventh-ranked Fowler, from Murrieta, sank a five-foot birdie putt on the final hole to shoot 67 and finished second in a major for the third time, while the fourth-ranked Spieth, the 2015 Masters champion, closed with a brilliant 64 but made his only bogey on the last hole and was two shots back in third.
“I battled for some pars on the front nine and then on the back nine was able make some putts to put myself in position to have a chance,” said Fowler, who had four birdies in the last seven holes.
“I was very pleased with the way I played and gave it my all, left it all out there. It was a blast, and I felt good out there. At least I made P-Reed earn it.”
Said Spieth: “I’m pretty gutted by the finish. I barely clipped the last limb (on his tee shot at No. 18). I started nine strokes back, but after I played 3-4-5 in 3-under, I knew I had a chance. I just had to stay patient. I played the golf course exactly the way it has to be played on Sunday. I never gave up.”
Third-ranked Jon Rahm of Spain was in the chase until hitting his approach shot into the water and taking a bogey 6 on the 15th hole en route to a 69 that left him four behind in fourth.
Eighth-ranked Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland, trying to complete the Career Grant Slam, struggled to a 74 and was six behind in a tie for fifth with two-time Masters champion Bubba Watson (69), Henrik Stenson (70) of Sweden, and Cameron Smith (66) of Australia, who collected seven birdies on the back nine.
Marc Leishman of Australia finished at 70 to wind up seven back in ninth, while top-ranked Dustin Johnson wound up at 69 and was another shot back in a tie for 10th with Tony Finau, who came in at 66.
Fifth-ranked Justin Rose of England shot 69 to tie for 12th, second-ranked Justin Thomas tied for 17th after a 73, and sixth-ranked Hideki Matsuyama of Japan totaled 69 finish 19th.
Four-time Masters champion Tiger Woods shot 69 to tie for 32nd, and three-time winner Phil Mickelson finished with a 67 to tie for 36th.
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