(AP Photo/Matt Slocum). Marc Leishman, of Australia, reacts after his putt on the second hole during the second round at the Masters golf tournament Friday, April 6, 2018, in Augusta, Ga.

(AP Photo/David Goldman). Marc Leishman, of Australia, shoots around a tree on the 17th hole during the second round at the Masters golf tournament Friday, April 6, 2018, in Augusta, Ga.

(AP Photo/Charlie Riedel). Patrick Reed hits to the 13th green during the second round at the Masters golf tournament Friday, April 6, 2018, in Augusta, Ga.

(AP Photo/David J. Phillip). Patrick Reed chips to the 18th hole during the second round at the Masters golf tournament Friday, April 6, 2018, in Augusta, Ga.

(AP Photo/Charlie Riedel). Patrick Reed catches a ball in the 17th green during the second round at the Masters golf tournament Friday, April 6, 2018, in Augusta, Ga.

AUGUSTA, Ga. (AP) - Patrick Reed is halfway home to his first major championship.

He got there by mostly staying out of trouble at daunting Augusta National and mastering the four par 5s.

Reed shot a 6-under 66 in the second round Friday and moved to 9-under 135 for the tournament. He takes a two-shot lead over Marc Leishman into Saturday's third round, which could be affected by rain.

Forecasts call for steady showers all day, the kind of weather that should soften up what had become a hard and fast test.

The way Reed has played, it's doubtful even Mother Nature can slow him down.

"I believe if I play the golf I know how to play, I can win majors," said Reed, a 27-year-old Texan who ended his college career 3 miles down the road at Augusta State. "I need to stick to my game plan."

Reed and Leishman will be the final pairing Saturday, scheduled to tee off at 2:30 p.m.

Reed grabbed the lead thanks mostly to being the only player in the field to birdie all eight par 5s in the first two rounds. He also needed just 51 putts through 36 holes.

"I kept myself out of trouble and allowed my putter to do the work," Reed said.

Leishman kept it close. He boldly took on a high risk when he hooked a hooded 5-iron around the trees and barely over the water on the par-5 15th to about 6 feet for an eagle that got him to 7 under.

Right behind them? Five major champions, for starters.

Henrik Stenson (70) was four shots behind. Rory McIlroy (71) is off to his best 36-hole start in seven years and is looking as poised as ever to capture the fourth leg of the career Grand Slam. Jordan Spieth lost his two-shot lead on the first hole and was on the verge of getting left behind until he made a key par putt to close out the front nine with a 40, and then salvaged a 74 to join McIlroy just five shots behind.

Looming is Dustin Johnson, the No. 1 player in the world, who made a 45-foot par putt on the 16th to atone for several birdie putts in the 10-foot range he missed. Johnson had a 68 and was six shots behind, along with PGA champion Justin Thomas, who had a 67.

Eleven of the 17 players still under par at the halfway point can be found among the top 20 in the world.

They're all chasing Reed, and probably need to play the longest holes well to even keep pace.

"The par 5s are huge around here to be able to pick up ground on," Reed said. "You're not going to shoot a low score if you don't."

Some other things to know heading into Saturday's third round:

Tiger Woods made the cut at his first Masters in three years. He has some mixed feelings about where he's at.

He shot a three-over 75 in the second round and is 4 over heading into the weekend. The 75 matched his second-worst score at the Masters and left him 13 shots off the lead.

Woods struggled with distance control Friday in difficult conditions and lamented a number of close misses on greens.

He said he didn't hit his irons very good at all, adding that he "didn't control distances, shapes or anything."

Still, Woods was mostly pleased with how he's played in his first major since the 2015 PGA Championship.

"Six months ago, I didn't know if I was going to play again. It's incredible. Just so thankful have this opportunity to be able to play golf again."

Woods knows he needs a "special weekend" and some help to get back in contention.

Fred Couples, 58, Bernard Langer, 60, and Vijay Singh, 55 - three guys who play the PGA Tour Champions - proved it pays off to know your way around Augusta National.

All three of them shot 2 over in the second round and made the cut at golf's first major.

Couples is 11 shots off Reed's pace heading into the weekend. Langer is 13 back, and Singh is 10 behind.

Couples made the cut at the Masters for the 30th time, tying Gary Player for the second most in tournament history. Only six-time Masters champion Jack Nicklaus (37) made more cuts at Augusta National.

The last two Masters champions won't be playing on the weekend.

Willett finished the second round with consecutive bogeys, missing out by two strokes.

Garcia's reign was essentially over when he wrote a double-digit number on his scorecard in the opening round Thursday. The Spaniard and new father hit five consecutive balls into the water at the par-5 15th.

Garcia seemed to spend much of Friday going through the motions. He struggled to a 78 that included dumping another ball in the water at No. 11 and ended up at 15-over 159.

Garcia will be around to be part of the championship celebration at Butler Cabin, where he will put a green jacket on the 2018 champ. Doug Ghim will join him inside.

The 21-year-old Ghim was the only amateur to make the cut. He got into the Masters thanks to a runner-up finish in the U.S. Amateur. The low amateur also gets invited to the ceremony at Butler Cabin.

For more AP golf coverage: https://apnews.com/tag/apf-Golf and https://apnews.com/tag/TheMasters

Copyright 2018 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. </s> Patrick Reed hits on the fourth tee during the fourth round at the Masters golf tournament Sunday, April 8, 2018, in Augusta, GA. (AP Photo/Chris Carlson)

(RNN) - Patrick Reed held off a furious comeback from Jordan Spieth and a stellar round from Rickie Fowler to claim his first Masters championship on Sunday.

"I knew it was going to be tough," Reed said. "I knew that the lead was going to shrink at some times, and I knew it could grow. That's just the flows of golf, you just have to handle it."

Reed, who attended college in Augusta, closely missed a number of putts on the back nine as Spieth roared to a final-round record-tying 64.

But Spieth, with a chance to equal the record low round, slipped up on the 18th hole and instead bogeyed.

Fowler meanwhile struck birdies on six of the last 11 holes to finish 14-under and edge Spieth for second place.

"Gave it our all, left it all out there, made P-Reed earn it," Fowler said.

Reed, despite the heavy pressure, held firm following a spotty start to the day.

He was 1-over for the round before he birdied the par-3 12th hole. He managed another birdie on 14 and then shot an even-par the rest of the way.

It was a modest improvement on his 14-under score coming into the day, but enough to get him the green jacket.

Reed was commanding earlier in the week, with sub-70 scores in each of the first three rounds.

The 27-year-old had never won a major championship before. He finished tied for second at least year’s PGA Championship.

Spieth, the 2015 Masters champion, was chasing a record comeback of nine strokes. The largest Masters comeback is eight strokes, done twice, by Gary Player in 1978 and Jack Burke in 1956.

Rory McIlroy, who has won golf's three other majors but never the Masters, came into the day in second but faded out with a frustrating 2-over 74.

Tiger Woods finished strong with a 3-under 69, his best round of the tournament. He finished tied for 32nd at 1-over. </s> Non-Crowd Favorite Patrick Reed Holds Off Rickie Fowler To Win The Masters

Golfer Patrick Reed was best known for the trophies he shared at the Presidents and Ryder Cup . It's for his performance at the latter that he picked up the nickname "Captain America."

But all that changed on Sunday when Reed, 27, won his first major championship at the Masters in Augusta, Ga. Reed is the fourth consecutive Masters champion to capture his first major at that tournament.

On the 18th hole, Reed finished with a 1-under 71 to hold off challenger Rickie Fowler. For Fowler, it was his eighth top-five finish in a major championship and third as runner-up. He's still waiting to celebrate his first major title win.

From the beginning of play at Augusta National, it was clear that Reed, who's originally from Texas, was not the crowd favorite. He picked up on that when he and four-time major winner Rory McIlroy, who's from Northern Ireland, were announced on the tee box — McIlroy got a noticeably louder ovation.

ESPN reports it's understandable why the fans didn't want Reed to win:

"It was never going to be pretty with Patrick Reed, the golfer who collected more enemies than most on his stormy rise from boyhood prodigy to college bad boy to self-promoting PGA Tour winner to master of the Masters. Reed was kicked off his University of Georgia team, and nearly voted off his Augusta State team by his schoolmates, for offenses that ranged from alcohol-fueled misbehavior to an arrest for underage drinking and constantly talking down to lesser teammates, as well as alleged cheating infractions. His coach at Augusta State, Josh Gregory, suspended him and warned him that his entire career was about to go up in smoke."

Reed's parents live in Augusta but they weren't at the tournament and it is reported that they weren't at their son's wedding in 2012. Despite the estrangement, Golf.com reports Reed's mom Jeannette and dad Bill hosted a Masters party.

"The Reeds lived and died with every shot on the back nine, hooting and hollering at the TV. When the final putt dropped, they clung to each other like survivors in a life raft. Struggling to catch her breath, tears streaming down her cheeks, Jeannette said, "I can't believe my son is the Masters champion. It's surreal." It was a dizzying mix of pride and pain."

Reed won't discuss his family situtation. When asked about it after his Masters victory, Reed told reporters, "I'm just out here to play golf and try to win golf tournaments." </s> American Patrick Reed did most of the hard work on Friday and Saturday at Augusta National, although his Sunday was anything but easy. He shot a one-under par 71 on the final day, and 15-under par for the tournament, to win The Masters by one stroke over Rickie Fowler and two strokes over Jordan Spieth. In winning his first major championship, after tying for second at last year’s PGA Championship, Reed also collected the $1.98 million winner’s prize.

Fowler and Spieth, teammates of Reed’s on the victorious 2016 United States Ryder Cup team, both shot the ball exceptionally well on Sunday, but came up just short at the end. Reed’s three-shot lead over Northern Ireland’s Rory McIlroy to start the fourth round proved to be insurmountable, even as Fowler shot a 67 and Spieth tied a final-round Masters record with a 64. McIlroy struggled all day, carding a 74 to finish in a tie for fifth place at 9-under.

This was Reed’s sixth career victory on the PGA Tour and obviously the most significant, although he did win the WGC-Cadillac Championship in 2014 before posting a 3-0-1 record in the 2016 Ryder Cup. Perhaps it was just a matter of time, then, before the 27-year-old veteran from Texas captured his first major. However, Spieth did his best to make Reed earn this win, coming from ninth place after the third round to tie for the lead on the back nine Sunday.

But Spieth bogeyed the 72nd hole, and then Fowler birdied it to take the clubhouse lead at 14-under. Reed, who missed the cut at the Masters in 2017 and had never finished better than 22nd in this event, was calm and cool on the final nine, however, making birdies at the 12th and 14th holes before carding four straight pars to finish the tournament and claim the title.

Spieth led after the first round, shooting a 66 that included a bogey at the 18th hole. That gave the 2015 Masters champion a two-shot lead over fellow Americans Tony Finau and Matt Kuchar. Still, the biggest noise of the day came when defending champion Sergio Garcia carded a 13 on the 15th hole when he put five balls into the water. Meanwhile, sentimental and crowd favorite Tiger Woods shot 1-over par on Thursday in his return to Augusta, after missing the last two years with injury.

When Spieth tumbled on Friday, shooting 2-over, it was Reed who took control of the event with a brilliant 66, taking the midway lead at 9-under par. Australia’s Marc Leishman stood in second, two shots back, while Sweden’s Henrik Stenson was four shots behind the leader. Spieth and McIlroy were tied for fourth at 4-under par. Woods’ 75 on Friday enabled him to make the cut, but he was near the bottom of the leaderboard.

Reed’s 67 on Saturday gave him a three-shot lead heading into Sunday’s final round, with McIlroy traileing him despite shooting 65 himself. Fowler also shot 65 to move into third place, while Spieth fell to a tie for ninth after a 1-under effort. Spain’s Jon Rahm carded a 65 in the third round himself to move up to fourth place, which he held on to Sunday after carding a final-round 69. Woods shot even par on Saturday to remain in 40th place after the third round. He would finish 32nd for the tournament at 1-over par, after posting 69 on Sunday.

>>More: This Week In Golf

Next On The Tee: The RBC Heritage

This is the 50th year on tour for The Heritage, which was first played in 1969, with Arnold Palmer claiming the inaugural event. Now held at the Harbour Town Golf Links in Hilton Head, South Carolina, this event has a $6.7 million overall purse. The defending champion is American Wesley Bryan, who posted a one-stroke victory over Scotland’s Luke Donald in last year’s event. Both players are back this season, although Bryan missed the cut at Augusta while posting 74-78 in the first two rounds.

Other notable players in the field for this week include 2016 U.S. Open champion, Dustin Johnson, 2007 Masters and 2015 British Open winner, Zach Johnson, and Leishman, who finished ninth at Augusta, after carding 73-70 over the weekend. Among the former Heritage champions in the field are two-time winner Jim Furyk (2010, 2015) and five-time winner Davis Love III (1987, 1991, 1992, 1998, 2003). Many top players on tour take this week off to recover from the grueling grind of the Masters, but the 2018 field looks strong nonetheless.

The Harbour Town course, designed by Pete Dye in 1969, with the help of the Golden Bear, Jack Nicklaus, is one of the most recognizable on tour. In 2012, a Golf Digest survey of pros on the PGA Tour ranked this course as the second-best loop after Augusta National. So it is fitting to schedule the two events on successive weekends. The iconic red and white-striped lighthouse on the course is quite famous as well.

The Harbour Town Golf Links course plays 7,099 yards long and is a par 71.

Sam McPherson is a freelance writer covering baseball, football, basketball, golf and fantasy sports for CBS Local. He also is an Ironman triathlete and certified triathlon coach. Follow him on Twitter @sxmcp, because he’s quite prolific despite also being a college English professor and a certified copy editor. </s> David Cannon/Getty Images(AUGUSTA, Ga.) — Sergio Garcia has finally won his first major championship.

After 72 holes of the 2017 Masters tournament, the 37-year-old Spanish golfer beat the English-born Justin Rose in a sudden death playoff– the 17th playoff in the Masters history.

The Masters win marked Garcia’s 74th attempt in his 18-year career at a major title. </s> AUGUSTA, GEORGIA — Sergio Garcia has won the Masters for his first major championship, beating Justin Rose in a playoff.

The playoff was required after both players missed birdie putts on the 18th hole to stay tied at 9 under 210.

The 37-year-old Garcia hit a 12-foot putt for birdie on the playoff hole to seal the victory.

It was the 17th time in Masters history that the tournament had been decided by a playoff. </s> Players at The Masters were forced to deal with some on-and-off wet weather throughout the day Saturday, but leader Patrick Reed came prepared with his 2016 Ryder Cup umbrella.

Reed seems headed toward an epic final group pairing on Sunday with Rory McIlroy, the man he beat in his singles match at the last Ryder Cup en route to a Team USA victory.

Reed held a two-shot lead over McIlroy through 12 holes Sunday, but eagled the 13th to double his advantage.

Patrick Reed takes control of The Masters with two eagles on the back nine Rory McIlroy and Rickie Fowler are making runs at The Masters Masters green 'Dilly Dilly' hats are reportedly being given away near Augusta </s> Reed wins first major title, holding off Fowler at Masters

AUGUSTA, Ga. (AP) — The tepid applause that greeted Patrick Reed on the first tee made it clear he wasn't the people's choice.

All he cared about was being the Masters champion.

He turned back an early move by Rory McIlroy and a late charge by Rickie Fowler. Most daunting in the middle of the final round Sunday was a familiar name at Augusta National — Jordan Spieth — on the verge of the greatest comeback in Masters history.

Reed had the game and the grit to beat them all. And when he slipped on that green jacket, he had everyone's respect.

"I knew it was going to be a dogfight," Reed said. "It's just a way of God basically saying, 'Let's see if you have it.' Everyone knows you have it physically with the talent. But do you have it mentally? Can you handle the ups and downs throughout the round?"

He has proven that playing for his country. He did it Sunday for himself.

The final test was a 25-foot putt down the scary slope on the 18th green, and Reed pressed down both hands, begging it to stop as it rolled 3 feet by. From there, the 27-year-old Texan calmly rolled in the par putt for a 1-under 71 and a one-shot victory.

Known as "Captain America" for his play in the Ryder Cup, Reed added a far more important title: Masters champion.

The loudest cheers were for everyone else, and Reed picked up on that right away. The crowd was squarely behind McIlroy and his best chance yet at completing the career Grand Slam. Then it was Spieth, running off four birdies in a five-hole stretch on the back nine to challenge the course record. The loudest cheer was for Fowler when he made an 8-foot birdie putt on the final hole to pull within one.

Reed never flinched through it all.

"I just went out there and just tried to play golf the best I could and tried to stay in the moment and not worry about everything else," Reed said.

Reed, who finished at 15-under 273, won for the sixth time in his PGA Tour career.

Until Sunday, he was best known for the trophies he shared at the Ryder Cup and Presidents Cup. He is ferocious in match play, especially the team variety, and his singles victory over McIlroy at Hazeltine in the 2016 Ryder Cup led to his nickname.

"He's not scared. I think you guys have seen that previous from the Ryder Cups and the way he plays," said Fowler, who closed with a 67. "He won't back down. I don't necessarily see him as someone that backs up and will let you come back into the tournament. You have to go catch him."

Fowler did his best with three birdies in a four-hole stretch, and the 8-footer on the final hole. It still wasn't enough. Fowler was runner-up for the third time in a major. He left the scoring cabin when Reed tapped in for par.

"Glad I at least made the last one, make him earn it," Fowler said with a grin as he waited to greet the newest major champion.

"You had to do it didn't you?" Reed told him as they exchanged a hug. "You had to birdie the last."

Spieth put up the most unlikely fight and was on the verge of the greatest comeback in Masters history. He started nine shots behind going into the final round, and was inches away on two shots from a chance at another green jacket.

His tee shot on the 18th clipped the last branch in his way, dropping his ball some 267 yards from the green. His 8-foot par putt for a record-tying 63 narrowly missed on the right. He had to settle for a 64.

"I think I've proven to myself and to others that you never give up," Spieth said. "I started the round nine shots back and I came out with the idea of just playing the golf course and having a lot of fun doing it and try to shoot a low round and finish the tournament strong and see what happens, if something crazy happens."

McIlroy, meanwhile, will have to wait another year for a shot at the career Grand Slam.

Trailing by three shots to start the final round, he closed to within one shot after two holes. That was as close as he came. McIlroy's putter betrayed him — he missed four putts inside 10 feet on the front nine — and he was never a factor on the back nine. He closed with a 74 and tied for fifth.

"Tough day, but I'll be back," McIlroy said. "And hopefully, I'll be better."

Reed is old-school among his generation, with a brash attitude and a willingness to speak his mind. He has never been terribly popular in this state, mainly because of allegations of bad behavior while playing for Georgia that led to an early departure from the Bulldogs. He transferred to Augusta State and led the outmanned Jaguars to a pair of NCAA titles. His parents live in Augusta, but were not at the tournament. They weren't at his wedding in 2012, a relationship Reed chooses not to discuss.

"I'm just out here to play golf and try to win golf tournaments," Reed said.

He won a big one Sunday, and it was hard work, just the way he likes it.

Different about this victory for Reed was the fuchsia shirt he wore as part of a Nike script. Reed always wears black pants and a red shirt because that's what Tiger Woods does, and Reed has long modeled his mental game after Woods. "Be stubborn," he once said about learning by watching Woods.

Woods broke par for the first time all week with a 69. He tied for 32nd, 16 shots behind, in his first major since the 2015 PGA Championship.

Reed went to the back nine with a four-shot lead over four players, and they all had their chances. That included Jon Rahm, the 23-year-old from Spain, whose chances ended when he went after the flag on the par-5 15th and came up short in the water. He shot 69 and finished fourth.

Reed made a 25-foot birdie putt on No. 12, and his biggest birdie was a 9-iron to 8 feet on the 14th that broke the tie with Spieth. He made all pars from there. That was all he needed.

He became the fourth straight Masters champion to capture his first major.

Reed once claimed after winning a World Golf Championship at Doral that he was a top 5 player in the world, which subjected him to ridicule because it was only his third career title. His first major moves him to No. 11. It also comes with a green jacket, which is worth far more notoriety, not to mention respect. </s> Patrick Reed is on course to win the Masters

Reed headed into the final day hoping to fend off the challenge of Northern Ireland’s Rory McIlroy.

However, the world No 4 missed some crucial shots, which coupled with Spieth’s increasable under-par performance, took Reed to a nervy finish.

Tiger Woods also made his long-awaited return to a major championship but he disappointed with only one below-par round.

The total prize money for the Masters stands at $11million (£7.8m) but it is shared out between the competitiors dependant on how they finish in the leaderboard. </s> (AP Photo/David Goldman). Rickie Fowler hits a drive on the fourth hole during the third round of the Masters golf tournament Saturday, April 8, 2017, in Augusta, Ga.

(AP Photo/Matt Slocum). Sergio Garcia, of Spain, reacts after making his putt on the 18th hole during the third round of the Masters golf tournament Saturday, April 8, 2017, in Augusta, Ga.

(AP Photo/Charlie Riedel). Justin Rose, of England, tips his hat on the 18th hole during the third round of the Masters golf tournament Saturday, April 8, 2017, in Augusta, Ga.

(AP Photo/Chris Carlson). Ross Fisher of England, hits a shot on the first hole during the final round of the Masters golf tournament Sunday, April 9, 2017, in Augusta, Ga.

(AP Photo/David J. Phillip). Ernie Els of South Africa, walks to the second green during the third round of the Masters golf tournament Saturday, April 8, 2017, in Augusta, Ga.

AUGUSTA, Ga. (AP) - The Latest on the final round of the Masters on Sunday (all times local):

Sergio Garcia has made two early birdies in the final round of the Masters, a promising start in the Spaniard's bid to capture his first major championship.

He rolled in a 5-foot putt at the first hole, breaking a tie for the lead with England's Justin Rose. Garcia stretched the margin to two strokes with another birdie at the third, driving the ball just short to the green, pulling off a delicate chip and knocking in an 8-footer.

Garcia squandered a booming drive at the par-5 second, where he dumped his approach in a bunker and missed a 5-foot putt. But he's three shots ahead of Rickie Fowler, four clear of Charley Hoffman and five up on Jordan Spieth, Adam Scott and Paul Casey.

The final group has teed off at Augusta National.

Justin Rose of England and Sergio Garcia of Spain are tied for the top spot at 6 under.

Rose won the U.S. Open in 2013 and captured the Olympic gold medal in Brazil last summer. Garcia is a longtime star but still seeking his first major championship.

It figures to be quite a Sunday shootout at the Masters.

The next-to-last pairing includes Rickie Fowler and 2015 Masters champion Jordan Spieth. Fowler is one shot off the lead, while Spieth is part of a group at 4 under.

Ernie Els may have hit his final shot at the Masters.

If so, the Big Easy hardly went out with a flourish.

Playing with a marker in the first group, Els posted a 6-over 78 Sunday and will likely finish with the highest score of anyone making the cut at 20 over.

On Saturday, the South African struggled to an 83 - his worst score ever at Augusta National.

This is the final year of automatic eligibility for the 47-year-old Els, and given his age and state of his game, he knows it will be tough to earn his way back.

"You can put a line on it and say most probably it will be the last one," Els said before the tournament started. "We'll see, unless we do something down the road. But you know, it's been good. Whatever. If I come back again, great. If I don't, it's been good."

Els has played the Masters 23 times. He was twice a runner-up but missed the cut five of the last 10 years.

Brendan Steele had the hottest start at the Masters on Sunday. It won't get him into the mix for a green jacket, but it should make him feel a bit better about his week.

Steele opened with three straight birdies and added a fourth on the seventh hole to improve to 2 over about two hours into the final round. He's still eight shots behind co-leaders Justin Rose and Sergio Garcia at 6-under. Rickie Fowler is one shot off the lead.

Rose and Garcia, friends and European Ryder Cup teammates, tee off in just less than two hours.

Rose is seeking his second career major title while Garcia is chasing his first.

Justin Rose sounded more like a golf fan planning out his Sunday TV schedule than a co-leader at the Masters prepping for the final round.

There's Jordan Spieth, who "obviously has a special relationship the Masters," Rose said.

And Rickie Fowler, who will "be all up for it tomorrow."

And his Ryder Cup teammate Sergio Garcia, who will "have a great opportunity."

He summed up his rundown saying, "There's wonderful storylines."

Garcia and Fowler will be seeking their first major wins. But perhaps the best comeback of this tournament belongs to Spieth.

The 2015 Masters champion was all but gone after a frustrating, quadruple bogey nine on the 15th hole in Thursday's opening round. Spieth, though, started clawing back with a birdie on No. 16 to reframe his focus and, although he was 10 shots down he's just two back heading into the final round.

Copyright 2017 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
In golf, American Patrick Reed wins the 2018 Masters Tournament held in Augusta, Georgia.