Reed joins small fraternity of major champs with Louisiana connecctions

With his victory Sunday at the Masters, Patrick Reed joins a select group of players with Louisiana ties to have won major golf championships.

Reed, though born in San Antonio, Texas, spent much of his formative years in Baton Rouge, attending University High.

Reed led U-High to a pair of state team titles and won medalist honors at the 2007 Division IV championship, where he shot an opening-round 65 en route to a four-stroke victory over future LSU standout and current Web.com Tour player Andrew Loupe of Episcopal.

Reed played three years at Augusta State University (now Augusta University), just down the road from Augusta National Golf Club, and starred on a pair of NCAA championship teams in 2010 and 2011.

Despite his exposure to the course from his college days, Reed’s best Masters finish before this week was a tie for 22nd three years ago.

Reed, who took the lead on Friday and held off late charges from Rickie Fowler and Justin Spieth to win the year’s first major by one stroke, is the first player with Louisiana ties to win the Masters. He joins a list of no fewer than a half-dozen players with Louisiana connections to have won a major title.

The others include:

Lionel Hebert – The Lafayette native won the 1957 PGA Championship, the last year the PGA was a match play event. He defeated Dow Finsterwald in the 36-hole final.

Tommy Bolt – Bolt, who grew up in Shreveport, won the 1958 U.S. Open at  Southern Hills in Tulsa, Oklahoma, a four-stroke victory over Gary Player.

Jay Hebert – Lionel’s brother, who played at LSU and was part of a national championship team in 1947, won the 1960 PGA Championship at Firestone Country Club in Akron, Ohio.

Hal Sutton – The native of Shreveport and 1980 College Player of the Year at Centenary College captured the 1983 PGA Championship by one stroke over Jack Nicklaus.

David Toms – The Shreveport native and LSU All-American in 1988 and 1989 won the 2001 PGA Championship.

Who might be next to join this list? The logical choice is another Shreveport native, Sam Burns, who is in his rookie season as a pro after winning college player of the year honors in 2017 at LSU. In just 10 months as a pro, Burns has a Web.com Tour victory and two top-10 finishes on the PGA Tour.