DETROIT – While the final round didn’t go as planned, Patrick Reed still found positives from the inaugural Rocket Mortgage Classic after earning his best PGA Tour finish in more than a year.
Reed made only four bogeys through his first 54 holes at Detroit Golf Club, but he matched that total with a turbulent final round that ended up in a 2-under 70. Reed finished the week at 17 under, in a large tie for fifth and eight shots behind eventual winner Nate Lashley.
It’s his first top-10 since the WGC-HSBC Champions in October, his first start of the wraparound season, and his best result on Tour since a fourth-place showing at the 2018 U.S. Open at Shinnecock Hills.
“Finishing top 10, especially going into next week and with The Open coming up, it was a positive week. I did a lot of things well,” Reed said. “A day like today, where I felt like nothing was really going well, to be able to get a round under par and salvage a round was nice.”
Reed is in the field for next week’s 3M Open, which will mark his fourth start in as many weeks. The result was welcome relief considering his recent dry spell, but it still only moved Reed up from 22nd to 20th in the U.S. standings for this year’s Presidents Cup.
Given his penchant for match play and pride in representing the red, white and blue any chance he gets, Reed remains optimistic that he’ll find a way onto Tiger Woods’ squad at Royal Melbourne come December.
“It’s always on my mind,” Reed said. “If I continue doing what I’m doing, especially these next couple weeks, then hopefully it all takes care of itself.”