Masters 2018: Top Quotes and Takeaways from Final Round of Year's 1st Major

Patrick Reed became the fourth consecutive first-time major winner to capture the Masters title Sunday, as he finished off an incredible week at Augusta National Golf Club with a final-round score of 71.

Reed, whose best Masters finish before 2018 was a tie for 22nd, benefited from the gap he created in the third round to hold on to the championship.

The 27-year-old, who attended college in Augusta, beat out Rickie Fowler and Jordan Spieth by one and two strokes, respectively.

The Masters' official Twitter account gave us a look at the championship moment on the 18th green:

Reed became the ninth different player to capture his first Grand Slam victory in the last 10 majors, per ESPN Stats & Info:

The performance followed up Reed's previous best major finish, a second-place mark at the 2017 PGA Championship.

Reed, who has been one of the top American players in team events, beat out fellow Americans Fowler and Spieth for the title.

Fowler, who birdied the 18th hole to move within one shot of Reed, waited behind the 18th green to congratulate the new Masters champion, a moment captured by CBS Sports' official Twitter account:

The comeback by the second-place finisher may have started too late, as he didn't gain momentum until the end of the front nine, a flaw pointed out by ESPN's Bob Harig:

Fowler noted after Sunday's round that the high finish puts him in a good place heading into the rest of the majors this season, per Augusta.com on Twitter:

Although the 29-year-old came up short, he continued to prove a major championship is coming in the near future.

The second-place finish marked the ninth time in his career Fowler placed in the top 10 at a major, with three coming in his last four tournaments.

Spieth captured everyone's attention with the lowest round of the day, a 64 that featured nine birdies, but there was one blemish on his scorecard, a bogey on the 18th hole that dropped him to 13 under.

The 2015 Masters champion displayed fight he hopes rubs off on others, as he noted after his round, per the PGA Tour's official Twitter account:

Lost in the fireworks produced by the three Americans was the poor round produced by Rory McIlroy, who started the final round three shots back of Reed.

McIlroy finished in a tie for fifth alongside Cameron Smith, Bubba Watson and Henrik Stenson. The final-round 74 from McIlroy beat just four players Sunday, as Golf Channel's Will Gray noted:

The disappointing finish at Augusta is going to add to the perception the 28-year-old isn't able to produce results in the fourth round to leave Augusta with a green jacket.

Tiger Woods wasn't a fixture in the final pairings Sunday, but his presence was felt throughout the weekend, as every birdie putt he made was met with boisterous cheers from the gallery.

The 42-year-old, who participated in his first Masters since 2015, finished in a tie for 32nd after producing a 69 Sunday.

Although it may not have been the result Woods expected given his high standard for major competitions, it is a step in the right direction for his comeback.

If he continues to put together strong results in the next two months, he could be in contention at the U.S. Open in June, which is being played at Shinnecock Hills Golf Club in New York.

Follow Joe on Twitter, @JTansey90.