A player’s reputation and legacy in golf is primarily based on his success in major championships.
Even without a major championship victory to his name Patrick Reed should now be seen as one of the greatest golfers in the world.
Reed propelled the U.S. to a victory in the Ryder Cup, its first triumph over Europe in the biennial tournament since 2008.
The United States defeated the European team 17-11 in the 41st Ryder Cup at Hazeltine National Golf Club in Chaska, Minnesota.
Not only did Reed help break the streak of European dominance and American humiliation in the Ryder Cup by winning 3.5 points for Team USA, he cemented himself as one of the best American golfers on the PGA Tour.
Reed has had previous success on the PGA Tour stage.
However his accolades were often overshadowed by his brash, vocal nature and his tendency to underachieve in big tournaments.
He emulates Tiger Woods, the greatest golfer in our lifetime, by wearing the same red and black outfit during the final round of tournaments because he appears to view himself as the same caliber as Woods.
He was chided by fans for claiming he believed he was a top-five caliber player in the world after his first professional victory, when he was ranked far outside the top-20 in the world golf rankings.
At the time, it looked like a way for a mediocre player to use the interviews which come after a win to get more attention from fans and the media.
But Reed backed up these claims with his run late through the 2016 season, which included representing the United States at the Olympics, winning The Barclays — the first tournament of the PGA Tour playoffs — and by leading the U.S. to victory in the Ryder Cup.
He used confidence and bravado to end Europe’s domination of the event, where he sent the crowd into a frenzy on nearly every hole.
Reed led off the final day of the Ryder Cup as the first of 12 matches, and set the tone for the American victory.
He was paired against former world No.1 ranked golfer and four-time major champion Rory McIlroy.
They both traded birdies on the front nine, where Reed playfully taunted McIlroy to get a reaction from the pro-USA crowd at Hazeltine.
Reed beat McIlroy one-up on the final hole of the match, and the confidence of the US team carried over into the final 11 matches, which the United States won easily.
All the pressure is off Reed now that he came up clutch for his country.
His performance will only increase his confidence, which should carry over to major championships in the near future.
Maybe Patrick Reed is a top-five player now after all.
