The 26-year-old American overcame two nervous bogies in his final three holes to hold on and card a final round 70 to win The Barclays by a single stroke. His nine under total around Long Island’s Bethpage Black course edged out fellow American Sean O’Hair, who closed with a six under 66, and in-form Argentinian Emiliano Grillo, who had a three under 69.

This was Reed’s fifth PGA Tour victory and it couldn’t have come at a better time. Having not hoisted a trophy since the season-opening Tournament of Champions in Hawaii last year, Reed not only collected the $1.5 million winner’s cheque but he cemented a spot on the US team for next month’s Ryder Cup.

And it was the win that just keeps giving. He surged to the top of the FedEx Cup points list, which gives him a clear shot at winning the $10 million Cup bonus. He will also move back into the top-10 of the world ranking for the first time since February.

Patrick Reed escapes from a bunker on 18 before closing with a bogey and the win. PHOTO: David Cannon/Getty Images.

“Really, it was patience all week. I stuck with my game plan and there in my second round, I kind of steered away from the game plan on a couple of the holes and it bit me,” Reed said.

“So going into today, I knew that one shot is not a lot around this golf course to make up. I just needed to stick to my game plan, be patient, and allow my clubs to do the work and allow all the processes we did around this golf course to do the work.

“I got on a roll there throughout the middle of the round, made some good putts, and that was key, because you have to feel comfortable around this place. I felt like that gave me a lot of comfort coming down the stretch, and I was able to kind of hold on here towards the end.”

FINAL LEADERBOARD  |  FEDEX CUP STANDINGS

The Texan-born Reed, who was one of the shining lights of America’s loss in the last Ryder Cup match in Scotland in 2014, says he wasn’t really thinking about Cup selection coming into The Barclays but he knew “a win would take care of everything.”

“Coming into the week, we said: ‘Well, you know what, go ahead and do what you can do and get the job done. If you go and win it takes care of everything else: Gets you into the Tournament of Champions, gets you into Ryder Cup, gets you to lead FedEx. It takes care of everything’,” Reed said.

“That was the main goal coming into this week was find a game plan on this golf course for me to shoot the lowest number I possibly could. Throughout the first two days it was spot on. I had the lead.

“And then going into yesterday, I felt like the game plan was there. I just felt like I didn't make any putts. I still was in striking distance. I was only one back coming into today.

“There was a couple times when I was out there and I was like, well, maybe we can go ahead and do this and we're like, no, stick to what you've written down and what the game plan is, because that's what's worked. We stuck with it and it just shows, being patient will definitely give you the rewards."

"I was very patient this week, and I mean, that's why I'm sitting here (with the trophy).” -  Patrick Reed.

While Reed played his way into the Ryder Cup, 54-hole leader Rickie Fowler might have played his way out of the team.

Fowler was still two shots behind with four holes to play and needed to only finish third to move past Zach Johnson to claim the eight spot on the US team standings. But two bogies and a double bogey in his last four holes saw him drop to a tie for seventh and will now have to rely on captain Davis Love III selecting him among his wildcard picks for Hazeltine. Love is due to make three of his selections after the next two FedEx Cup playoff events, with the fourth pick to be made after The Tour Championship.

Jason Day said he struggled with his driver this week and was happy to have finished as high up the leaderboard as he did. PHOTO: Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images.

Of the Aussie contingent, World No.1 Jason Day (69) and fellow Queenslander Adam Scott (71) both finished tied for 4th – just two shots behind Reed. With Reed moving to No.1 in the FedEx Cup standings, Day slips back to No.2 and Scott is now 4th but both have great chances to become the first Australian to win the lucrative play-offs bonus.

Day said he had a few issues with his driving this week but was happy to finish in contention despite not being able to get his tee shots in play more often.

“Pretty similar today to the rest of the week,” Day said. “I just didn't drive it as good. There was one snap-hook, a couple snap-hooks … I was just struggling a little bit with the driver.
“It's not a swing issue. It's not a mental issue. It's a little bit of a syncing problem with my body. I feel like the hips are going too fast and it stops, and then my hands flip over.

“So just kind of work on that for next week but working more so on the commitment, trying to get into a routine on the range and try and commit to a shot. I missed too many fairways this week.”