After another memorable Masters at Augusta, Paul McGinley salutes a worthy champion in Patrick Reed, and the qualities that earned him a Green Jacket.
When Patrick Reed won the WGC-Cadillac Championship at Doral three years ago he came out and said he was one of the top five players in the world, and a few of his peers took exception to that as he had not been on the scene for very long.
But I took that as a show of confidence, and I think that was exemplified on Sunday. Reed was leading the Masters and gave himself the platform to win his first major championship, and he didn't back down.
He didn't have his A game, but he had the mental strength to get over the line. Everything that was thrown at him, he reacted to and that's why he's a worthy champion.
He is a superb player, but we say that about a number of players in the world right now because the competition is so tough. It's so hard to get over the line with so many high-quality players in the field.
I don't think the competition has ever been as fierce at the top of the world rankings, with so many players in form and so many with real quality.
The coaching is better, the technology is better, and the players are so much fitter and incredibly dedicated, so there's a number of reasons why so many players are colliding.
Winning majors is very difficult, and Patrick Reed clearly has the ability to win any of the four majors, but you could say the same about 15 other guys as well.
As for Jordan Spieth, I believe he is the best competitor in the game. He might not be the best player, but he's the best competitor.
It was very interesting to hear him say he didn't know where he was on the leaderboard on Sunday. You hear greats like Jack Nicklaus saying you must know where you stand because that dictates your next move.
But for Jordan to not look at the leaderboards, especially in the final round of the Masters, was quite extraordinary.