Patrick Reed wins Farmers Insurance Open by five shots
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SAN DIEGO, CA - JANUARY 31: Patrick Reed hits a tee shot on the seventh hole during the final round of the Farmers Insurance Open at Torrey Pines South on January 31, 2021 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Ben Jared/PGA TOUR via Getty Images)
Written by The Associated Press
Patrick Reed birdies to seal win at the Farmers Insurance Open
SAN DIEGO — Patrick Reed pulled away for a five-shot victory Sunday in the Farmers Insurance Open.
Reed closed with a 4-under 68 at Torrey Pines, making an eagle on the par-5 sixth and finishing off his ninth PGA TOUR title with a birdie on the 18th.
The former Masters champions finished at 14 under after a consistent four days at the blufftop municipal courses overlooking the Pacific Ocean. He shared the first-round lead with Alex Noren, was in a group one shot off the lead in the second round and then shared the third-round lead with Carlos Ortiz.
On Sunday, Reed jump-started his round with a 45-foot eagle putt on the No. 6 to get to 12 under and followed with a birdie on the par-4 seventh. His only bogey was on the par-3 eighth, and he rebounded with a birdie on the par-5 ninth. He played par the rest of the way until sinking an 8-foot birdie putt on No. 18.
Tony Finau, Xander Schauffele, Ryan Palmer, Henrik Norlander and Viktor Hovland tied for second.
Reed moved up 55 spots in the FedExCup standings to No. 10
Hovland had been the closest in pursuit with four birdies on the front nine, including on the ninth to get to 12 under. But the birdies dried up and he bogeyed Nos. 14, 15 and 17 — missing a 2-footer on 17 — in a round of 1-under 71.
Ortiz stumbled badly with a round of 6-over 78. He hurt himself with three bogeys on the front nine that left him even at the turn. He had even more trouble on the back nine, when he bogeyed No. 11 and then had trouble getting out of a greenside bunker on No. 12, taking a double-bogey 6. He bogeyed 15, 16 and 18.