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Patrick Reed holds off Rickie Fowler to win Masters

Reed holds off Fowler to win Masters
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American Patrick Reed holds off the challenges of Rickie Fowler and Jordan Spieth to win the 2018 Masters at Augusta - his first Major championship.

Patrick Reed has picked up his first Major championship with victory in the 2018 Masters at Augusta.

Reed went into the final day with a three-shot lead and was bidding to become the first Masters champion to record four rounds of under-70, but the American struggled to replicate his performances from the first three days.

Compatriots Rickie Fowler and Jordan Spieth piled the pressure on the leader with rounds of five-under and eight-under respectively, with Spieth's 64 almost seeing him pull off one of the great Masters comebacks to regain the title he won in 2015.

Reed hit three bogeys during his round of 71, but crucially followed each of those with a birdie and ultimately a fourth birdie of the round on the 14th proved to be enough for him to claim the green jacket.

The 27-year-old ended on 15-under for the tournament, while Fowler's score of 14-under means that he has now finished second at the US Open, The Open and The Masters in his search for a first Major.

Spieth was one shot further back, while Spain's Jon Rahm finished on 11-under to claim fourth place - just ahead of a group of four golfers including Rory McIlroy who finished joint-fifth.

Tiger Woods recorded a final-round 69 to finish with a flurry - including an eagle on the 15th - but the four-time champion still ended the Masters on one-over par.

MASTERS LEADERBOARD

1. Patrick Reed (-15)
2. Rickie Fowler (-14)
3. Jordan Spieth (-13)
4. Jon Rahm (-11)
5. Cameron Smith (-9)
=. Bubba Watson (-9)
=. Henrik Stenson (-9)
=. Rory McIlroy (-9)

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Written by
Barney Corkhill
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Rory McIlroy hits his tee shot on the 15th hole during the second round of the World Golf Championships-Dell Match Play at the Austin Country Club on March 24, 2016
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