The surprising moment before Patrick Reed’s Masters win that left him totally ‘shocked’

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Patrick Reed can laugh about it now, but if you watched the final round of LIV Golf Dallas, he didn’t exactly look at ease closing out the win.

Patrick Reed held on to win a playoff at Maridoe, picking up his first LIV title with a gritty performance that helped put him back in the Ryder Cup conversation — even if questions about his nerve popped up again after losing a big lead late.

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But Reed steadied himself for the playoff, showing a little bit of the resilience that made him a force in his early career. He’s a long way from a guaranteed Ryder Cup spot, having missed the last two events, but this win gives him something to build on.

It’s not the first time Reed has come under fire with a lead. Fans might remember that even during his Masters win in 2018, questions were raised about whether he could handle the pressure — but the way he described that final night was very different from what people might expect.

Reed has known big leads before. In 2018, he entered Sunday at Augusta three shots clear of Rory McIlroy, with Rickie Fowler and Jon Rahm among those further back.

Speaking on the Life on Tour podcast in 2019, Reed shared that he was surprised by how calm he felt heading into what would be the biggest round of his life.

Although nerves eventually hit as he arrived at the first tee, Reed was able to hold on for a one-shot win – his first and so far only major title.

How the Augusta patrons helped fire Reed up

Over the years, Reed has never been afraid of playing the villain – a quality that earned him the “Captain America” nickname during some of his Ryder Cup highs.

And ahead of that 2018 Masters final round, Reed wasn’t surprised to find the attention leaning heavily towards McIlroy. If anything, he said it helped take the pressure off.

“Yeah. I walked up to the first tee and had a really welcoming cheer from the fans, but then when Rory walked up to the tee, you know, his cheer was a little louder,” Reed said after the win. “But that’s another thing that just kind of played into my hand.”

“Not only did it fuel my fire a little bit, but also, it just takes the pressure off of me and adds it back to him.”

With Keegan Bradley set to name his Ryder Cup team later this year, Reed’s reputation for playing well in hostile environments — and his ability to feed off the crowd — could work in his favour, especially now that he’s back in the winner’s circle.