Schupak: It's Rory McIlroy's Masters to lose but beware of Patrick Reed
Rory McIlroy leads the Masters by six shots, but Patrick Reed, golf's 'villain,' is in second and wants to spoil his run.
AUGUSTA, Ga. – Rory McIlroy is lapping the field at the 90th Masters by six shots but don’t hand him the Green Jacket just yet. Not if Patrick Reed, golf’s favorite villain, has something to say about it.
Reed bogeyed the last on Friday at Augusta National Golf Club but he’s still tied for second with Sam Burns at 6-under 138 and with a second Green Jacket of his own in his sightlines. More: Masters leaderboard, scores, tee times, stories, videos The only other time Reed was in the top 5 after 36 holes at Augusta National? He won the Masters in 2018.
And who did he stare down in the final round? McIlroy, who folded under the pressure of trying to complete the career Grand Slam. That pressure has been relieved after McIlroy won last year.
The monkey is off his back and he’s playing with a new freedom, or as he put it, “house money” as he pursues a sixth major that would tie him with Nick Faldo for the most by a European golfer in the modern era. It was Faldo who famously hunted down Greg Norman, who held a six-stroke lead heading into the final round in 1996, shooting a flawless 65 while Norman cratered to 76. This is a different McIlroy than the 21-year-old wunderkind who melted down in 2011, shooting a final round 80.