Patrick Reed held off LIV Golf League rival David Puig to claim his first Rolex Series title with a four-stroke victory at the DP World Tour’s Hero Dubai Desert Classic in Dubai.
The former Masters champion took a four-shot lead on the final day at Emirates Golf Club and despite having his advantage briefly cut short by David Puig, he never relinquished control and clinched a convincing victory with a level-par 72.
Reid finished the week at 14 under with two birdies and two bogeys, comfortably ahead of England’s Andy Sullivan, who moved into second place with a late birdie, while Puig shared third place with Julien Guerrier.
Reed closed out the Dubai victory with rounds of 69, 66, 67 and 72.
Former British champion Francesco Molinari shared fifth place with Nicolai Hujgaard and Jaden Schaper, while pre-tournament favorite Rory McIlroy tied for 33rd, his worst result at the tournament since 2008.
McIlroy finished the week tied with defending champion Tyrrell Hatton at 2 under and 12 strokes back, but one more shot behind world No. 3 Tommy Fleetwood, and no European team among the Ryder Cup winners finished higher than 14th on the leaderboard.
How Reid achieved a commanding victory in Dubai
Puig, who started the day four shots behind the lead, had to hole in from 20 feet on the first hole to avoid falling further behind, but the Spaniard overcame an early struggle off the tee to steal three pars.
Reed missed a 10-foot birdie chance to extend his lead on the par-5 third, then three-putted for bogey on the next hole, and Puig narrowly missed his tee shot.
David Puig threatens a final-round comeback with three consecutive birdies near the turn
Both players traded two-putt pars on the next two holes, but Reed was unable to capitalize on his chance to extend his lead on the seventh, and Puig, following a 12-foot birdie on the eighth, picked up a shot on the next hole to cut the advantage to two.
Puig rose and fell from the sand for Reed’s birdie on the par-5 10th, but squandered a golden opportunity to get within one of his partners on the next hole, missing a 4-foot putt for par as Reed made bogey.
The Spaniard avoided further bogey by holing in from 12 feet on the 12th, but a two-stroke swing on the next par-5 ended his hopes, and he found a greenside bunker on his third shot for bogey as Reed recovered a four-stroke buffer with a 6-foot birdie.
Puig was in the race for the title after making a three-putt bogey on the 15th hole, leaving him five spots behind Guerrier, who made an eagle birdie early on the final day and finished with a 3-under 69, making it a battle for second place.
Use Chrome Browser for a more accessible video player
Hero Dubai Desert Classic winner Patrick Reed admits victory was ‘much harder than I expected’
After Sullivan’s sensational finish, Reed’s lead was cut to four, but he birdied four of the remaining seven holes (including the final two) to move to 10 under par, but still had par remaining on his way to victory.
Reed enjoys ‘hard’ victory after receiving ‘gift’ from Puig
Reed lost a 54-hole lead to McIlroy in the 2023 tournament, but posted a top-10 finish in last year’s tournament, and the 2018 Masters champion built on that record in Dubai, winning his first DP World Tour title outside of a major and World Golf Championship.
“Today was much more difficult than I expected,” Reed admitted after his win. “I couldn’t do anything on that front nine. I learned a lot today.
“Rather than trying to keep my foot on the gas early, I tried to protect that four-shot lead. Before I knew it, David (Puig) had eight birdies, nine birdies, and we were down to two points.
Use Chrome Browser for a more accessible video player
Shane Rowley held an incredible 75-foot birdie putt in the final round of the Hero Dubai Desert Classic.
“My caddy told me, ‘This is going to be an aerial battle. If you shoot under par on the back nine, no one will win.’ David gave me the gift of bogey. From then on, I just tried not to make any mistakes.”
What’s next?
The DP World Tour will be in the Middle East for the Bapco Energy Bahrain Championship at the Royal Golf Club, with coverage beginning on Sky Sports Golf from 8.30am on Thursday. Get Sky Sports now and stream without a contract.
Book your round at the lowest price on one of 1,700 courses across the UK and Ireland
