Patrick Reed claims dominant victory at Hong Kong Open

Patrick Reed lit up the Hong Kong Golf Club with a performance to remember, claiming his first title in four years at the US$2 million Link Hong Kong Open. The 34-year-old Texan closed the tournament with a composed six-under-par 66, finishing at an impressive 22-under and securing a three-shot victory over defending champion Ben Campbell from New Zealand.

Reed’s incredible 11-under 59 in the third round had already left fans in awe, and he wasted no time building on that momentum on Sunday. Four straight birdies from the third hole extended his lead to six shots, and by the turn, he was cruising with a seven-stroke advantage. A couple of late bogeys didn’t faze him as the victory was never in doubt.

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“This course really makes you think and I love that challenge,” said Reed, celebrating his first Asian Tour win. “Yesterday’s 59 was special, but today was about staying focused and building on my lead early. Once I did that, I could play steady and close it out.”

Ben Campbell fought valiantly with a superb final-round 65, including five birdies on the back nine, but it wasn’t enough to reel in Reed. “I hit it well but struggled with the putter this weekend,” Campbell said. “It’s a good result, but I felt like I could’ve pushed Patrick harder.”

Japan’s Kazuki Higa stole the show with a sensational 63 to claim third, one shot behind Campbell. Meanwhile, Australia’s Wade Ormsby and Thailand’s Sadom Kaewkanjana tied for fourth after both shot 65s.

The home crowd had plenty to cheer about as Hong Kong’s Taichi Kho tied for sixth with his best performance of the season. The 23-year-old finished strong, nearly holing his second shot on the par-four 18th for eagle and tapping in for birdie.

Other notable performances included England’s Justin Rose, the 2015 champion, who tied for 18th with a final-round 67.

Rashid Khan, the two-time winner on the Asian Tour from India, shot 15-under par to register a tied-8th place finish in the tournament.

Photo: Asian Tour