Humana Challenge 2014: Patrick Reed becomes just 3rd player under 25 with multiple wins

The first two weeks of the 2014 season in Hawaii produced steady wins from two well-known players, but the first stop of the west coast swing provided the year’s most impressive victory. Patrick Reed, just 23-years old, went wire-to-wire in a dominating week at the Humana Challenge.

Following three straight dazzling rounds of 63, Reed started Sunday with a host of PGA Tour records in his sight and an almost insurmountable seven-shot cushion. The chasers made things a bit interesting on the back nine, but Reed did not relinquish his spot at PGA West’s Palmer Course, even with some sloppy and shaky play down the stretch. The records were not broken, although he’s got his 54-hole mark to take home, and the pace slowed up a bit with a 1-under round of 71. But the work put in over the first three days was still enough for a final 28-under tally and a two-shot win over Ryan Palmer. The Humana Challenge (nee Bob Hope Classic) is always a birdiefest with the three easiest courses the players face all season, but that matches the second-best ever score to par in a 72-hole PGA Tour event.

Reed found success last year on the Tour, picking up five top 10s and his first career win in a playoff duel against Jordan Spieth at the Wyndham Championship. That late-season victory secured plenty of perks for Reed, and this second win puts him in rare company.

It’s easy to create arbitrary ways to frame any point, but that’s a staggering nugget given that Reed receives very little attention and is not hyped at all as one of the game’s best young talents. Now he has to be.

The win, and streaky form, came as a bit of a surprise because Reed had not really played well since the victory in Greensboro. But now he’s inside the top 50 in the world rankings, and will get one of 64 spots in the WGC Match Play event that concludes the west coast swing.

Zach Johnson, who was most certainly in form starting the week, finished a shot back of Palmer in a tie for third. The final round 62 for Zach is the lowest final round number of his career. Johnson’s status as the most consistent American golfer remains, but he’ll take a month break now. Here are the final results from the week in Palm Springs:

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• John Daly makes a hole-in-one (that isn’t a hole-in-one)

• Counting down the top 25 stories and moments that defined golf in 2013