Masters 2018 final result: Patrick Reed holds back Jordan Spieth and Rickie Fowler to win as Rory McIlroy fades

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Patrick Reed shot a battling one-under 71 on the final day at the Masters to land his first career major and the Green Jacket, as Jordan Spieth rallied from nine back at the start of the day while Rory McIlroy’s putting saw him fade in the chase for a career slam.

The drama from the final pair began immediately as Reed's drive finished close to a tree to the left of the fairway and McIlroy hit a wild drive to the right.

McIlroy was lucky to remain in bounds and even more fortunate to have a clean shot, the 28-year-old finding a greenside bunker with his approach and saving par.

From there the lead was cut to one at a time before stretching back to three, then changing hole by hole on the front nine.

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Further back, Jordan Speith rallied reaching the turn at five under for the day, and ten under for the week. The Texan didn’t stop there as McIlroy fell back to ten under, Spieth moved through with a birdie on twelve, the scene of his 2016 collapse, and took second on his own.

The gap was down to one when Reed found trouble off the tee on the 11th and missed from five feet for par, with Spieth on the green in two at the 15th.

Spieth left his long eagle attempt four feet short and before he could hole out Reed made birdie from 20 feet on the 12th.

But Spieth held his nerve to record his eighth birdie of the day and remain just a shot adrift.

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Reed enjoyed an enormous stroke of luck when his approach to the 13th came up short, but plugged in the bank of Rae's Creek instead of rolling back into the water.

But he was unable to take full advantage and make birdie after an enormous roar from the 16th indicated that Spieth had done precisely that.

A remarkable ninth birdie of the day gave Spieth a share of the lead and a chance to break the course record of 63, which had earlier eluded Paul Casey who shot 65, with bogeys on the last two making it a disappointing end.

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As the 2015 winner continued to surge, McIlroy’s hopes faded away as his formerly red-hot putter appeared to cool, with par putts and eagle chances missing all over.

Reed reclaimed the lead with a birdie from close range on the 14th before Spieth's drive on the 18th clattered into the trees and failed to even reach the fairway.

The 24-year-old was faced with a second shot of more than 260 yards and after hitting a three wood up the fairway and pitching to eight feet, missed the crucial par putt.

A closing 64 left Spieth on 13 under par and two behind Reed.

Rickie Fowler recovered from a struggling start and rose through the leaderboard at some pace after the turn. The Californian, clad in his usual Sunday orange, rolled in a birdie on the last to cut Reed's lead to one as he took to the final tee.

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All Reed needed down the last was a par and a first major champions, and Green Jacket, were his.

He found the green with his second, before the birdie putt left a nervy par putt to claim his maiden major by one shot, but he held his nerve and rolled it home.

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