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Rory vs. Reed: The final pairing for Masters Sunday will be a rematch of their epic Ryder Cup duel

April 7, 2018

AUGUSTA, Ga. — It’s Rory. It’s Reed. It’s the final group on Masters Sunday. Patrick Reed, at 14 under par, takes a three-shot lead into the final round of the year’s first major. Rory McIlroy is second at 11 under and seems to be the player most likely to catch him. Will he?

The showdown almost seems too good to be true; in the most highly anticipated Masters in recent memory, wasn’t there sure to be some letdown? Sure, Reed is a far greater longshot than many of the other big-time names crowding the top of the leaderboard (still in pursuit: Rahm! Rickie! Henrik! Bubba!) but it’s impossible to match his fire in big moments. Love him or hate him, Patrick Reed has a way of making golf’s best dramas that much greater.

This same matchup, Rory vs. Reed, was, of course, the biggest moment of the 2016 Ryder Cup. Their singles match featured all manner of fireworks, fist-pumps, finger-wags and more en route to a Reed 1-up victory that seemed to secure the momentum and the match in favor of the U.S. It was the most memorable match play event in recent history.

On 2:40 p.m. ET on Sunday, in the final group at Augusta National, the next chapter of their golf rivalry will be written.

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