Patrick Reed claimed his second World Golf Championships triumph at the WGC-Mexico Championship following a thrilling finale at Chapultepec Golf Club.
The American Ryder Cup star emerged victorious from a battle that went one way and then the other, with Bryson DeChambeau, Jon Rahm, Reed and Erik van Rooyen all sharing the lead at the turn, while World Number One Rory McIlroy and Justin Thomas were just a shot back.
Reed pulled clear though, picking up four birdies in six holes from the 12th. That left him with a two-stroke advantage going down the last and – despite a wild tee shot on the par four 18th – he managed to compose himself for a two-putt bogey.
A four under 67 for an 18 under total handed Reed a one-shot victory at the same Championship in which he claimed his first WGC title in 2014, and moved the 29-year-old to the top of the Race to Dubai Rankings presented by Rolex.
DeChambeau’s six under 65 earned him outright second place, while Reed’s fellow European Tour Members Rahm and van Rooyen shared third spot on 15 under. McIlroy struggled to gain any momentum on the final day but did continue his remarkably consistent recent form as he picked up a fifth successive top five – a run which began with his victory at the WGC-HSBC Champions.
Player quotes:
Patrick Reed: “It means a lot to win. One of our goals was to go out and win a golf tournament and try to get in that winner’s circle before Augusta.
“And to be able to go ahead and do it before I even got to the Florida Swing definitely gives me momentum and gives me the confidence that we’re playing really well, and now I just need to continue to grind, continue to work, and hopefully there’s more coming up soon.
“The putter was really hot. I felt like I was hitting a lot of really good putts, hitting it on my lines, and your speed has to be perfect. I felt like I was able to dial it in.
“It definitely helped me out today because I didn’t hit the ball that great on the front, had a lot of up-and-downs just to kind of hang around there, and I knew if I was able to get a little hot with the ball-striking, I’d be able to rack up some birdies, and I was able to do that at the end.”
Jon Rahm: “I mean, it was going to be very easy to focus on the last few putts that weren’t good. It is what it is. But to be honest, I was not good through 27 holes. The fact I had no chance and shot 19-under after that, it’s pretty ridiculous.
“If anything, I’ve got to reflect on the first two days. I did give myself a chance, but my swing wasn’t feeling the best three out of four days, and today it showed. I kind of pulled it together, but it was hard to catch with Bryson making all those birdies. If anything, I had a chance, but I’ve got to focus more on the fact I should have given myself a better chance after the first few holes.”
Erik van Rooyen: “You know what, I felt better than I did yesterday, and I think it was a lot more going on yesterday. I got off to a really good start again today. Ten and 12 obviously hurt quite bad.
“But you know what, I think I played some really good golf the last four days, and I think I can hold my head high. I mean, there’s still so much to play for. Yes, we all want to win, but at the same time, I’m trying to finish as high as I possibly can, so I’m not going to go lie down after a bogey.
“I think we had a really good finish, gave myself a few good chances coming down the stretch, and my game is in great shape. I’m looking forward to the next one.”
Rory McIlroy: “It was frustrating. I don’t feel like I got the best out of myself. Obviously I started the week well, and then I feel like I just hit some loose shots, and I didn’t putt as well as I needed to over the last three days. And I just let a few shots get away. I’m just looking forward to a week off. Looking forward to getting away for a little bit.”
