Patrick Reed lands maiden major at Masters

Patrick Reed clinched his first major title with a narrow one-stroke victory over Rickie Fowler at the Masters.

Reed, 27, carded an up-and-down 1-under 71 to finish on 15-under at Augusta National.

The victory marks Reed's sixth title on Tour and his first major victory in 17 starts. 

Reed came into the season's first major with solid form under his belt, but with only a tie for 22nd ranking as his best attempt at the Masters in four previous starts. 

The confident American bounced back from bogeys at the first and sixth with birdies at the third and seventh, and then did the same around the turn when outweighing a bogey at 11 with a birdie at the iconic par-3 12th from outside of 30 feet. 

A birdie from 10 feet at 14 put Reed firmly in the driving seat and he parred home to win his first green jacket.

With Reed posting a final-round 71, it still means no player in the history of the Masters has shot all four rounds in the 60s. 

Fowler piled on the pressure with a birdie at 18 for a closing 67 and to post 14-under in the clubhouse in the group ahead of Reed, but he was to come up agonisingly short of his first major yet again. The 29-year-old American now has eight top-five finishes from 33 major starts. 

Spieth's love affair with Augusta National continued on Sunday with a sublime 8-under 64, but a bogey at the last took the gloss off his round as he finished solo third. 

EQUIPMENT: PATRICK REED - WHAT'S IN THE BAG 2018

Rory McIlroy, paired with Reed in the final round, got off to a solid start despite missing a four-foot eagle putt at the second, but a string of missed putts from inside of eight feet around the turn cost the Ulsterman any chance of completing the career Grand Slam and he signed for a dismal 2-over 74 and a tie for fifth.

MASTERS FINAL LEADERBOARD 

-15 P REED (US)

-14 R FOWLER (US)

-13 J SPIETH (US)

-11 J RAHM (SPA)

-9 B WATSON (US), H STENSON (SWE), C SMITH (AUS), R MCILROY (NI)