The Masters: Top five storylines to watch this weekend at Augusta National
Patrick Reed has come a long way over his career. It’s been four years since he made the infamous “top five player in the world” comments, but he’s also worked hard to let his play do the talking for him.
Reed has 22 top-ten finishes since the start of the 2015 PGA TOUR season, and he scored his first major top-ten at last season’s PGA Championship. The growth didn’t come immediately, and while many wrote him off as a cocky young gun, the results are steadily building his case.
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Reed came into Augusta this week as the 24th-ranked player in the world, and 27th in the FedEx Cup standings. Bringing home the green jacket would be the perfect way for him to open the next chapter of his still-young career.
“Because of all those years and because of the really troubling kind of finishes I’ve had, it’s allowed me to see the areas where you can’t put the golf ball,” Reed told ESPN after Friday’s round. “Now I know where you need to put it whether it’s on the green, off the green, to each flag, so I can stay aggressive and attack the golf course”
And attack he most certainly has. His 14 birdies lead the field, and he ranks third in both strokes gained tee to green and strokes gained putting. He’s one-putt 22 times in 36 holes, defeating Augusta National’s notoriously challenging putting surfaces.
Reed is apparently also ditching the Sunday red this week, which is apparently a directive from Nike. He’ll be going with an ever-so-slightly different shade of pink. Hey, that would go just fine with a green jacket, too.