The American beat off the challenge of Rickie Fowler, Jordan Spieth and Rory McIlory in a thrilling final round at Augusta.
Reed headed into Sunday 14-under par at the top of the leaderboard but his nerves were tested to the maximum – mainly thanks to a superb charge from Spieth who finished the day eight-under par.
Sergio Garcia, the 2017 champion, failed to make the cut but he was in place to hand Reed the Green Jacket in the clubhouse following the conclusion of the tournament.
Reed was ecstatic with the win as his wife, Justine Karain, greeted him with a huge hug following his 18th-hole par-putt to clinch a one-shot victory.
“It is almost impossible to put into words,” Reed said.
“Just to make the putt on the last and watch the ball go in the hole and know that I have just won my first major and to finally end the drought was one of my huge goals.
“To do it in the first major and to finish off the drought meant so much to me.”
Fowler was Reed’s closest challenger in the end as he finished 14-under par.
And the world No 24 knew it would be tough coming up against his fellow American at the death.
“I knew it was going to be tough,” Reed added.
“Any time trying to close off a major tournament you know it is going to be hard.
“To close off your first major and to do it at a place so close to me is where I went to college.
“I knew that the lead was going to shrink at times and could grow, it is just the flows of golf. You just have to know how to handle it.
“It was tough out there but to be able to make that putt on 14 and then the two-putt on 17 gave me the momentum going to the 18th.
“To be able to be able to have to par the last hole to win my first major it definitely felt right.”
