Reed holds on at Cadillac
Reed holds on at Cadillac
DORAL, Fla. — Patrick Reed felt he belongs among the best in the world. He beat them all Sunday in the Cadillac Championship.
Dressed in a red shirt that he always wears in the final round — with Tiger Woods in the group ahead of him — Reed made back-to-back birdies early on the front nine to build a big lead and showed off a great short game when the pressure was building on the new Blue Monster at Doral.
Equipped with a two-shot lead, the 23-year-old Texan played the final hole conservatively. He two-putted for bogey and closed with an even-par 72 for a one-shot victory over Bubba Watson and Jamie Donaldson of Wales.
Reed became the youngest winner of a World Golf Championship, his third win in his last 14 tournaments.
Woods, only three shots behind going into the final round in his best chance this year to win a tournament, said his back flared up after an awkward shot out of the bunker on the sixth hole. He failed to make a birdie in the final round for the first time in his PGA Tour career, and his 78 was his worst Sunday score ever.
Reed is expected to go to No. 20 in the world ranking. He joined some exclusive company. Since 1990, only Woods, Phil Mickelson, Rory McIlroy and Sergio Garcia had three PGA Tour wins before turning 24.
Hadley earns first PGA victory
RIO GRANDE, Puerto Rico — Chesson Hadley won the Puerto Rico Open for his first PGA Tour victory, holding off Danny Lee by two strokes in wind gusting to 25 mph.
Making his 13th PGA Tour start, the 26-year-old Hadley birdied the final two holes at Trump International for a 5-under 67. He’s the first rookie winner since Jordan Spieth in July in the John Deere Classic.
Hadley finished at 21-under 267 and earned $630,000, a two-year tour exemption and spots in The Players Championship, PGA Championship and Tournament of Champions. He will move into the mid-60s in the world ranking, giving him a chance to get into the Masters if he can crack the top 50 at the end of the Texas Open.
Keselowski edges Junior on last lap in Vegas
LAS VEGAS — Brad Keselowski surged ahead on the final lap when Dale Earnhardt Jr. ran out of fuel, claiming a dramatic victory Sunday in the NASCAR race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.
Keselowski swept a weekend’s races for the first time in his career with his first Cup victory at Las Vegas. He also won Saturday’s Nationwide Series race.
Keselowski capitalized when Earnhardt’s fuel gamble failed. The 2012 Sprint Cup champion earned a spot in the Chase for the Sprint Cup championship after missing it entirely last season.
By wire sources