Patrick Reed wins the 2018 Masters Tournament

Patrick Reed was not to be denied his shot at a green jacket.

Reed, playing in his fifth Masters Tournament without a prior top-20 finish, withstood one of the most dramatic comeback attempts in tournament history Sunday to slip on the green jacket. He shot 1-under-par 71 to finish 15-under, one stroke ahead of Rickie Fowler and two ahead of Jordan Spieth.

“It’s almost impossible to put into words,” Reed said. “Just to make the putt on the last and watch the ball go into the hole and win my first major, and finally end the drought and not only contend in majors but get in the winning circle, it just meant so much to me.”

The final round was billed as a 2016 Ryder Cup rematch between final-pairing companions Reed and Rory McIlroy, with the potential for a heavyweight bout between bulldogs.

PHOTOS: Reed's Final Round at the Masters

Spieth had other plans in the form of pure second-nine drama at Augusta National Golf Club.

The 24-year-old Spieth, already with his name in the tournament record book from a historic 2015 victory, gave a fellow Texan all he had by shooting 64 to erase a nine-stroke deficit entering the final round.

Spieth posted nine birdies and elicited the Sunday roars made famous around Augusta National’s pine trees as he matched shot for shot with Reed on the second nine. The train ran out of steam on the final two holes, however, as Spieth made par on 17 and bogey on 18 to miss tying the 18-hole tournament record by a stroke and fall just short of a potential second green jacket.

“It was a phenomenal day,” Spieth said. “I think I’ve proven to myself and to others that you never give up. I started the round nine shots back. I came out with the idea of playing the golf course and having a lot of fun doing it, and just shooting a low round and finishing strong.”

The 27-year-old Reed, with ties to Augusta as a former All-American and two-time national champion at Augusta State University, never wavered through a round that saw his lead disappear as late as halfway through the second nine.

Reed, with nerves of steel proven throughout his career, buckled down on the biggest stage by holding off a fiery Spieth and clutching to a tight lead over the final four holes.

Fowler, who trailed a few shots behind Reed throughout the day, reached his closest point to the lead after a birdie on 18 to get to 14-under while Reed split the fairway behind him. For Reed, it just meant another test to pass, and he did so with flying colors with a par on the last hole by making a four-foot putt.

PHOTOS: Sunday Round at the Masters Tournament

“Gave it our all and left it all out there,” said Fowler, who shot 67 for his best Masters finish. “Made (Reed) earn it.

“There’s been a few majors where obviously I’ve played well enough to where that score held up, but that’s golf. You have to beat everyone.”

For his day, Reed carded four birdies and three bogeys, his first round above 70 over the four days. He fell just shy of becoming the first player to record all four rounds in the 60s, but it didn’t prevent him from slipping into the green jacket in the 82nd Masters.

While Spieth made his charge, Reed chugged along at an even-par pace, swapping out a 13- and 14-under total for most of the day.

Ahead by one stepping to the intimidating 12th tee, Reed stared down any potential trouble by hitting the back fringe and draining a 22-foot birdie putt to get to 14-under and two ahead.

Spieth made birdie on 13 to take over second place alone at 12-under, and then drained a six-footer for birdie on 15 to reach 13-under, one back.

Reed’s second shot on 13 nearly found the tributary in front of the green but stayed up by blades of grass. He recovered to make par and stay ahead by one.

The latest roar to echo through the pine trees around the 16th hole was produced by Spieth when he drained a 33-foot birdie putt to reach a tie with Reed at 14-under. For a minute, the talk of a comeback of historic proportions was real.

As Reed has often done in his career, he played stopper and hushed the conversations. A birdie from eight feet on 14 put him back on top at 15-under with four holes to play.

“I knew it was going to be tough,” Reed said. “Any time just trying to close out a golf tournament is really hard, but to close out your first major and being a place that’s so close to me, it’s where I went to college. The only way I felt like I could get that done was to make sure the putter was working.”

As Reed and Spieth battled, it became clear that McIlroy wouldn’t participate. His putter failed him by missing a short eagle attempt on 2, a five-footer for par on 5 and a nine-footer for birdie on 9. Bogeys on 11 and 14 essentially took him out of the running.

McIlroy shot 74 to fall into a tie for fifth at 9-under. He was joined by Cameron Smith, Bubba Watson and Henrik Stenson.

Jon Rahm finished fourth alone at 11-under. Tony Finau shot 66 in the final round to inch into the top 10 at 7-under along with Dustin Johnson. Marc Leishman finished 8-under for ninth.

Despite a bogey on 18, Tiger Woods ended his first Masters appearance since 2015 in strong fashion with an eagle on 15 and birdies on 13 and 17 to shoot 69 and finish 1-over for the tournament.

PHOTOS: Tiger's Sunday at the Masters

Woods crept along the first three rounds to enter Sunday at 4-over and out of the picture, but a more positive fourth day put him in a tie for 32nd. It was his worst finish since a tie for 40th in 2012.

Phil Mickelson also ended his Masters on a positive note by shooting 67 to finish 2-over in a tie for 36th. Paul Casey nearly made tournament history by going to the 16th hole at 9-under for the day, but he bogeyed the final two holes to shoot 65 and finish 5-under in a tie for 15th.