‘Akdong’ Lead "I Recorded My 9th Win"... Controversy Over Rule Violation?

Farmers Insurance Open Final Day '5-Stroke Victory', Hoblyn 2nd, Yonram 7th, Im Sungjae Tied 32nd

Patrick Reed is cheering while holding the trophy immediately after winning the Farmers Insurance Open. San Diego, California, USA = Getty Images / Multibits

[Asia Economy Kim Hyun-jun, Golf Specialist Reporter] It was a decisive victory for Patrick Reed (USA), ranked 11th in the world.

On the 1st (Korean time), at the Torrey Pines Golf Course South Course (Par 72, 7,765 yards) in San Diego, California, USA, Reed added 4 under par on the final day of the PGA Tour Farmers Insurance Open (total prize money $7.5 million) to secure a 5-stroke victory (14 under par 274). This marked his first win of the 2021 season and his 9th career victory, coming one year after his last win at the World Golf Championships (WGC) Mexico Championship in February last year. The winner's prize was $1.35 million (approximately 1.51 billion KRW).

Reed started tied for the lead and recorded 1 eagle, 3 birdies, and 1 bogey. The highlight was the eagle on the 6th hole (par 5). After successfully reaching the green in two shots, he sank an impressive 13.72-meter eagle putt. On the 7th hole (par 4), he made a 7.62-meter birdie putt, showcasing his exceptional green play. The only bogey came on the 8th hole (par 3), but he immediately recovered with a birdie on the 9th hole (par 5). He focused on defense in the back nine and finished spectacularly with a birdie on the 9th hole (par 5).

Reed first rose to major champion status by winning the Masters in April 2018. He joined the PGA Tour in 2012 and earned his first victory at the Wyndham Championship in August 2013. He gained further spotlight by winning the Humana Challenge in January 2014 and the WGC Cadillac Championship in March 2014. He has continued to collect trophies annually, including the Hyundai Tournament of Champions in January 2015, The Barclays in August 2016, and The Northern Trust in August 2019.

Patrick Reed is looking at the ball immediately after his tee shot on the 5th hole on the final day of the Farmers Insurance Open. San Diego, California, USA = Getty Images / Multivitz

However, Reed has a reputation for being a bit of a troublemaker, with slip-ups in speech and a unique family background, which has earned him many 'anti-fans.' During his time at the University of Georgia in Athens in 2008, he was expelled from the golf team due to incidents involving so-called 'alggagi' (a Korean term for a prank or mischief), theft, and drinking. He also cut ties with his family early on. His relationship with his parents deteriorated after they opposed his marriage to his wife, Justin, who is four years older. At the 2014 US Open, he even had his parents and sister removed from the course, which drew heavy criticism.

Interestingly, Reed received a two-stroke penalty for 'improving his lie' on the 11th hole (par 5) during the third round of the Hero World Challenge in December 2019. In this tournament, he was again involved in controversy over a 'rules violation' on the 10th hole (par 4) the previous day. His second shot hooked left into deep rough, and before the rules official arrived, he picked up the ball, which became an issue. Although it was explained as a "no-penalty drop due to the ball being embedded," TV replays showed the ball bouncing, which undermined the explanation's credibility.

Viktor Hovland (Norway) finished tied for 2nd place (9 under par 279), while world number 2 Jon Rahm (Spain) was tied for 7th (8 under par 280). Rory McIlroy (Northern Ireland) lost a stroke and dropped to a tie for 16th place (6 under par 282). From Korea, Im Sung-jae (23, CJ Logistics) tied for 32nd (3 under par 285), 'Tank' K.J. Choi (51, SK Telecom) tied for 69th (4 over par 292), and An Byeong-hun (30, CJ Logistics) tied for 75th (8 over par 296).

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.