Two sides to Patrick Reed's victory - ESPN
Monday's playoff? Nope, we're not talking about Ohio State and Oregon. We're focused on two U.S. Ryder Cup teammates -- Patrick Reed and Jimmy Walker -- at the PGA Tour's first event of 2015.
One of them was going to walk away with his fourth PGA Tour victory and it turned out to be the 24-year-old Reed.
So how did it go down at Kapalua? Our experts dissect all the action and more in the latest edition of Four-Ball.
1. Did Patrick Reed win the Hyundai Tournament of Champions or did Jimmy Walker lose it?
"SportsCenter" anchor Jonathan Coachman: Anytime you hole-out for eagle from 80 yards and also post two other birdies in your final few holes, you have to give that significant credit. Patrick Reed did what you are supposed to do when another player has a 3- or 4-stroke lead -- put pressure on them and make them make shots.
Late in his round on a short par-4, Jimmy Walker found the bunker off the tee with an iron. Those are the kinds of mistakes you can't make and then hit it over the green. But a player doesn't make those mistakes unless someone is pushing the gas pedal. Congrats to Reed for already qualifying for this winners-only tournament again next year.
ESPN.com senior golf analyst Michael Collins: Walker lost it. One of the things you have to do when you have the lead and are trying to close out a tournament is control your nerves. Walker did not control his nerves like he did in his previous victories, which is why he didn't win this time.
ESPN.com senior golf writer Bob Harig: It is probably a little bit of both, but you have to give Reed credit for hanging close, making that eagle down the stretch and then converting the birdie putt in the playoff. Walker still had chances to win if Reed is not there to make it a game. Reed prevailed when given the opportunity.
ESPN.com senior golf editor Kevin Maguire: Both, with the edge to Reed. His hole-out eagle at 16 got him into a share of the lead just when it looked like Walker was going to close the door on the field. Then Walker stumbled home, playing his last five holes in 1 over, including butchering a difficult up-and-down chance in regulation that would have sealed the deal. It will take some time for Walker to shake that one off.
2. Will Reed be seen as a hero or villain by the public if he wins a major this year?
Coachman: Having been a heel in the world of professional wrestling, I can tell you as much as people want to hate a player, they really only hate because they want to be like that person. People wish that they could act like Patrick Reed and get away with it, to say "I am a top-5 player" and then go out and get it done.
Above all else, golf fans appreciate a player who looks in the face of major danger and eats it for breakfast. I think Reed would be incredibly popular as a major champion.
Collins: He'll be both, which is exactly what golf needs. He's a very polarizing figure in golf and his actions at the Ryder Cup brought that out even more. I love the guy and his honesty, but there are plenty out there who don't appreciate how he carries himself. If he wins a major, it'll be 60/40 love/hate.
Harig: Hero. While there are certainly some detractors, Reed gained a lot of fans by the way he handled himself at the Ryder Cup. Yes, the "top-5'' comment will continue to haunt him, but he is a player with supreme confidence who is showing that he is good for the game.
Maguire: His public persona says villain, but how can you say that about a guy who saved his wife from dying after she had a seizure in the bath tub last month? Sure, he's a little brash about his own abilities (find me a top-tier golfer who isn't), but others tend to keep it to themselves. Reed didn't, and that will follow him for a long time.
His mutterings under his breath last fall didn't help matters, either, but ultimately what fans will gravitate to is a winner, and at just 24, Reed has done that a whopping four times on the PGA Tour.
3. Now that Tiger will play the Waste Management Phoenix Open, what other tournaments should he add to his 2015 schedule?
Coachman: I am the president of the Tiger Woods fan club. Always have been. I want to see him play as much as possible. I am hoping he increases his tournaments to about 20 this year.
Early in the season I think it would be great to see Tiger at Pebble Beach, but he, like many players, is not a fan of the six-hour rounds with a bunch of famous celebs. If we are realistic and Tiger is going to add tournaments, it won't be the beginning of the year.
I think playing in the Dallas area prior to the Memorial Tournament in mid-May would be great at the Crowne Plaza Invitational or the Byron Nelson, who was a man Tiger adored. But let's be honest, Tiger is still going to stay fresh for the post-July schedule.
Collins: I'd love to see Tiger play Byron Nelson (May 28-31). I know he has a bad taste in his mouth from that event because it was the one that broke his made-cut streak, but who doesn't like a story of redemption? If not there, then the FedEx St. Jude Classic in Memphis the week before the U.S. Open.
Harig: Aside from the ones he normally plays, I am not sure there is another tournament he can add. He'll have two weeks off after Torrey Pines, and then we can assume he'll play Honda, Doral and Bay Hill, with another two-week break before the Masters (April 9-12). The hope is that he puts the Match Play Championship (April 30-May 3) back on his schedule. If so, that gives him back-to-back tournaments in April/May with the Players.
Or, if he skips the Match Play, he could go with The Players Championship (May 7-10) followed by Quail Hollow. With the Quicken Loans National tournament moved to after the Open Championship, he has nothing between the U.S. Open and the Open at St. Andrews. Maybe Tiger adds the Greenbrier (July 2-5)? He has played there in the past, but given the short gap, it's not necessary. After that, the schedule is so packed, there is nothing else to add.
Maguire: I'm a little biased, living in central Connecticut, but what about the Travelers Championship (June 25-28)?
It's great that Tiger is playing Phoenix, but that place was already going to get half a million fans through the gates. If he showed up in a place like Cromwell, Connecticut, for the first time in his career, the place would go nuts. They'd get more fans at TPC River Highlands on a pro-am day than a typical week otherwise. Dare to dream.
4. What are your expectations for Rory McIlroy as he opens his 2015 season in Abu Dhabi this week?
Coachman: Rory McIlroy said last year that it is great for golf to have a dominant player and he thinks he is that guy. Despite the huge distraction of a multimillion-dollar lawsuit with his former management company, I believe Rory is focused on doing one thing: winning every week and being as determined as any golfer ever to win the Masters and complete the career Grand Slam.
I expect at least a five-win season worldwide, including at least three victories on the PGA Tour. As much as I love Tiger, I believe Rory will find his A-game at Augusta, and someone will have to go very low to beat him.
Collins: Rory has to finish in the top three for it to be a successful start to his 2015. The way he finished last year, and seeing him post stuff on social media about the practice he's been getting in, has made me set high expectations for him this week.
Harig: Perhaps we might see a tinge of rust this week, but Rory is poised for a big year. After winning those three tournaments in a row last summer, he still played well through the rest of 2014. He got a solid break in the offseason and appears confident in most of his comments. He's got great weather for preparation these next few weeks as he stays in the Middle East.
By the time he gets to Florida late next month, the view here is that he'll be in prime position to add victories to his résumé.
Maguire: A top-10 finish is realistic, considering he came back to finish second in his last official start in November after a nearly two-month layoff. Even with the lingering court case hanging over his head, McIlroy has been tweeting about his amazing workouts in the Middle East, so a victory shouldn't be out of the question, either.
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