• American says louder cheers for his rival ‘fuelled my fire’ • McIlroy: ‘I think 100% I can come back and win here’

Patrick Reed said the knowledge that he was a crowd underdog inspired him towards Masters glory.

Reed was victorious by a single shot over Rickie Fowler at Augusta National but the 27-year-old champion was well aware that the runner-up, plus Jordan Spieth and Rory McIlroy, all seemed favoured by the galleries on Sunday.

Despite being a key part of the US Ryder Cup equation, Reed has never been embraced by fans. With the American and McIlroy paired in round four, it was the Northern Irishman who drew by far the louder encouragement as the duo were announced at the 1st hole. McIlroy was to slip to a 74, three worse than Reed, as his wait for a Masters win continued.

Patrick Reed wins Masters after holding off challenges from Fowler and Spieth Read more

Reed said: “I walked up to the 1st tee and had a really welcoming cheer from the fans but then when Rory walked up to the tee, his cheer was a little louder. That’s another thing that just kind of played into my hands. Not only did it fuel my fire a little bit, but also it just takes the pressure off of me and adds it back to him.

“I think that’s the biggest thing going into a Sunday, especially trying to win, for me trying to win my first [major]; for him, trying to win the career grand slam, it’s who is going to handle the pressure and who is going to have more pressure on them.

“Honestly, I felt like a lot of that pressure was kind of lifted and kind of taken off of me. The fans, yes, were cheering for me, but some of them were cheering more for Rory. At the same time, you had a lot of the guys picking him to win over me, and it’s just kind of one of those things that the more kind of chatter you have in your ear and about expectations and everything, the harder it is to play golf.

“I just kind of went out there and tried to play golf the best I could and tried to stay in the moment and not worry about everything else.”

Play Video 0:46 Patrick Reed: pressure was on Rory McIlroy in Masters final round – video

Reed did, though, swat aside the notion of him being an unpopular winner. The US president, Donald Trump, was among those to offer public congratulations, as did Tiger Woods. “I don’t think it’s really as much a popularity thing with the fans as it is that Rory has been in this position before to win here,” Reed said. “He’s played some really solid golf here. A lot of people are wanting him to win to get that career grand slam.

“Yeah, it’s just nature, and honestly to me it was just go out there and play golf. When I am overseas, they will cheer for good golf no matter what. It’s the same thing here. If you hit quality golf shots, they are going to cheer.

“For Rory being in a position and trying to win here in the past, and you know, having some success here, it didn’t surprise me that the fans were cheering for him in the beginning.”

A complex Reed back-story largely centres around his estrangement from his parents, with whom there has been no contact since 2012. Jeannette and Bill Reed – who are Augusta residents – were not present at their son’s wedding in the same year.

When asked whether it was bittersweet not to share Masters glory with his family, Reed’s reply was noticeably lacking in emotion. “I mean, I’m just out here to play golf and try to win golf tournaments,” he said.

As Reed celebrated, McIlroy was left to rue a “frustrating” Sunday where putting woes came to the fore. But he remains adamant that he will prevail at the Masters. “I think 100% I can come back and win here,” he said.

“I’ve played in two final groups in the last seven years, I’ve had five top‑10s, I play this golf course well. I just haven’t played it well enough at the right times.”