US golfer Patrick Reed hits a shot on the 13th hole during the final round of the Humana Challenge in La Quinta, California on Sunday (US time). Photo: AFP

American Patrick Reed won his ­second US PGA Tour title in as many career seasons, firing a ­final-round one-under-par 71 on Sunday (US time) to win the ­Humana ­Challenge by two shots in La Quinta, ­California.

Reed led from start to finish to capture the $1 million top prize at the $5.7 million event played over three courses at the PGA West ­complex, the last round over the Palmer Course.

The only other wire-to-wire ­winner in the event's 55-year ­history was American Rik Massengale in 1977.

Reed finished 72 holes on 28-­under 260 to defeat Ryan ­Palmer, who fired a 63 on Sunday to finish on 262 with Zach Johnson and Justin Leonard sharing third on 263 on an all-American leader board.

"You can get in trouble if you get too aggressive out here," Reed said. "Sundays are a little harder and I wanted to post a decent number and I did enough today."

Reed, 23, joined fellow American Harris ­English and Northern ­Ireland's Rory ­McIlroy as the US PGA Tour's only ­multiple winners under 25.

The first victory of Reed's ­career came in August when he took the ­title at the Greensboro Country Club in North ­Carolina as a rookie in the last event before the season-ending playoffs.

Jack Nicklaus, the all-time record holder with 18 major titles, was the only younger winner in the event's history, taking the 1963 triumph five months younger than Reed and just 13 days past his 23rd birthday.

The victory was expected to jump Reed, 73rd in the world rankings, safely into the top 45, likely assuring him a spot in next month's 64-­player World Golf Championships Match Play championship.

Not only did the burly ­American become the first player ever on the PGA Tour to post scores no worse than 63 in each of the first three rounds but he also earned a seal of ­approval from former US president Bill Clinton after securing the ­victory.

Midway through Reed's ­post-­victory news conference, he took a phone call from Clinton, a keen ­amateur ­golfer whose own ­charitable foundation officially linked up with the Humana ­Challenge in 2012.

"He was congratulating me, not only on a great win, but also told me to get ­myself back in that zone more ­often," a smiling Reed told reporters when asked what the former US president had said to him.

"He said it was a lot of fun to watch and ... how cool and calm and collected I was all week.

"And that's key out here. You have to be. To hear that not only from others, but also hear it from the president, that's ­special."

Agencies - Global Times