There is no finer afterglow than that of The Masters afterglow. Monday brings a time of reflection on all the dramatic goings on at Augusta National and a chance to peruse all the fine reporting on our beloved Masters.
One of the overriding themes is that Masters Champion Patrick Reed was far from the fan favorite at Augusta or the PGA Tour or college or anywhere else. Reed’s bravado and sometime odd behavior hasn’t made him very popular according to many writers.
But that doesn’t take away from the gutty performance that Reed gave us on Sunday. Here are a few links to some fine articles that give us a wide perspective on Reed and all things Masters.
Jeff Babineau gives us a wide ranging account of Sunday on Masters.com and there is a lot of great content there.
Gary D’Amato of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel says reed “still has questions to answer” and that anyone other then Reed would have been more welcomed at Augusta National. “If we’re going to be honest, though, the Augusta National membership probably would have preferred to see defending champion Sergio Garcia put the green jacket on Rory McIlroy in Butler Cabin.”
Karen Crouse of the New York Times recaps all the efforts of Reed, Fowler, Spieth and McIlroy. “It ended with Reed rebuffing the challenges of two teammates from that victorious United States team, Rickie Fowler and Jordan Spieth, to win at Augusta National.”
Bill Pennington, also in the NY Times gives us all that is Jordan Spieth and the what ifs.
Ryan Lavner of The Golf Channel says it plainly, ”Like it or not, Reed a Masters champion.” And then offers us an in depth report on Reed’s PGA Tour life, his college days, his turbulent life and how he was the last choice of the fans at Augusta. “And so the only one left to cheer late Sunday was Patrick Nathaniel Reed, who has seamlessly played the role of both hero and villain during his turbulent career.”
Michael Bamberger of Golf.com calls reed the “the last man standing” and gives us a comprehensive piece on Reed’s golf, personal life and the strange relationship with golf fans. “When Fred Couples won the Masters in 1992 he hit a tee shot on the par-3 12th that stayed on the bank when, by the laws of gravity and logic, it should have died in Rae’s Creek. Reed had a Fred moment of his own, but his came on the next hole, on his second shot on the par-5 13th. It stayed on the bank — just sat there like an obedient dog and likely saved him a shot. Thank you, overnight rain.
Why is it that Fred Couples is Fred but Patrick Reed is Reed? Why do we — reporters, fans, TV commentators and broadcasters — not embrace this guy more? He’s honest. He’s straightforward. He plays hard and to win. But he’s not one of the boys. He married young, his brother-in-law is his caddie and he leads an insular Tour life, except for Presidents Cup and Ryder Cup weeks, when he embraces team play in all its red, white and blueness.”
A “deserved but unpopular winner” is what The Scotsman’s Martin Dempster calls Reed. “There can be no denying, though, that Patrick Reed wasn’t the most popular winner of the 82nd Masters. Not even close.”
The Augusta Chronicle gives us a full days worth of reading. Scott Michaux says Capt. America isn’t his only nickname. “A man dubbed “Captain America” for his heroics in team events moonlights as golf’s greatest anti-hero on his own. On Sunday among the pines, just 3 miles from where he played golf in college, Reed beat back challenges from three of the game’s most popular players and lived to don a 44 large green jacket.”
David Westin offers a fine gamestory of the ’18 Masters and Brent Maycock gives us a profile on McIlroy’s heartbreaking loss. “In all, McIlroy missed seven putts inside 10 feet. And on a day when Reed never got hot enough to really separate himself from the field, they loomed large.”
And for you viewing pleasure they have hundreds of great photos capturing the players, the fans and all things Augusta. And here is the final payout to all the players at The Masters.
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