Reed Wins Hyundai TofC in Playoff Over Walker

Patrick Reed celebrates after draining the winning putt to defeat Jimmy Walker in a playoff. Photo by Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images.

By MauiNow Staff

Four shots behind with four holes to play, Patrick Reed made two birdies and holed out from 80 yards for an eagle Monday, and then closed out his unlikely rally by making an 18-foot birdie putt to beat Jimmy Walker in a playoff at the Hyundai Tournament of Champions.

The PGA Tour started a new year without a host of big names, but got a compelling finish at Kapalua.

Reed charged back into the picture with his eagle on the 16th hole, a shot that spun back toward the hole and hit the pin before dropping. After three-putting from 100 feet just off the green for bogey on the 17th, he two-putted from 80 feet for birdie on the par-5 closing hole for a 6-under 67.

Final Leaderboard Graphic by PGA TOUR.com.

“I’ve hit it great there all day and I just stripped it down the middle, and it seemed to have the same distance all week, around 88 to 85 yards,” Reed said. “And with the wind kind of hurdling a little bit, I decided to hit the 57 a little softer, because I knew if I hit anything in there with a lot of spin, it will spin off the front.

“And I heard the applause that it went in, and I didn’t really see it, but I was able to see the highlights, I think it spiked pretty hard. Good thing it did because it would have been off the front. So luckily I made that there.

Patrick Reed celebrates after draining the winning putt to defeat Jimmy Walker in a playoff Monday. Photo by Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images.

“And then in the playoff hole, I just hit my low bullet draw off the tee, and I kind of hung back on it and watched it in the air, so it wasn’t able to turn. And I thought yesterday I did the same thing, hit it over there to the right. So I knew just hit 3-wood down there and try to get up and down like I did in the third round, and you know, I gave myself a chance with the putt and I made it.”

Walker was trying to become the fifth player to win both PGA Tour events in Hawaii.

For the second straight day, he didn’t make birdie after the 10th hole, and this time it cost him. The only big mistake in regulation was trying to play it safe off the short par-4 14th and hitting a 4-iron into a bunker. He went over the green and made bogey, his first bogey in 33 holes.

Walker missed birdie putts inside 10 feet on the next two holes. He then wasted a good shot at birdie on the 18th when his chip came out soft and he was short on an 18-foot birdie putt. He shot 69 and joined Reed at 21-under 271.

Patrick Reed and Jimmy Walker share a moment down the 18th fairway Monday. Reed defeated Walker in a playoff to win the Hyundai Tournament of Champions. Photo by Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images.

In the playoff, Walker again had the advantage when Reed couldn’t come close to reaching the green. Walker, however, hit it right into the rough, and this time the chip came out hot and went over the green. He chipped to 6 feet and never had to putt.

Reed hit wedge into 18 feet and holed the putt, giving the 24-year-old his fourth PGA Tour victory and second in a playoff.

“It was there for me to win,” Walker said. “It was a bummer I didn’t close the door on it. I got to watch Patrick play the last couple of holes and had the chance on 18 to birdie and win it.  Had a good look in the fairway and just didn’t happen. I missed a couple of putts I should have made, on 14, 15; had a good look on 16. It had a lot of break on it, but it was a tough putt.

“But I should have made one of those two on 14 or 15. Bad tee shot on 14, but continued to drive it well, hit good shots where I needed to. Just a couple of putts.”

It was Reed’s first victory since the World Golf Championship at Doral, where he caused a stir by saying he was among the top five players in the world. This win should move him to a career-best No. 14 in the world, though he was more interested in what he could do get better.

Jimmy Walker is introduced on the first hole during the final round of the Hyundai Tournament of Champions at Plantation Course at Kapalua on Monday. Photo by Stan Badz/PGA TOUR.

Four wins before turning 25 puts him in elite company.

Australian Jason Day became the second player on Monday to tie the Plantation Course record with a 62 — Chris Kirk shot 62 earlier in the day as the first player out. Day posted at 20-under 272, though that score never looked as though it would be enough. Russell Henley closed with five straight birdies for a 67 to join Day at 272.

They were joined by Hideki Matsuyama, tied with Walker at the start of the final round. The 22-year-old from Japan also felt as though he lost a good chance to win. He missed birdie chances on the last four holes and missed them all to shoot 70.

Hideki Matsuyama of Japan is introduced on the first hole during the final round of the Hyundai Tournament of Champions at Plantation Course at Kapalua on Monday. Photo by Stan Badz/PGA TOUR.

Walker ended his streak of 32 holes without a bogey when he tried to play conservatively off the tee at the 14th and missed a short par putt. In the group ahead of him, Reed birdied the par-5 15th and suddenly took a share of the lead by holing a wedge from 80 yards out for eagle on the 16th hole.

Just like that, it was a sprint to the finish.

Reed looked as if he had wasted his big surge when he three-putted for bogey from just off the green 100 feet away, lipping out his 4-foot par attempt. But he reached the front of the 18th in two shots for a two-putt birdie.

It gave him a chance, and that was all Reed needed.