Patrick Reed held off LIV Golf League rival David Puig to say a maiden Rolex Collection title with a four-stroke victory on the DP World Tour’s Hero Dubai Desert Basic in Dubai.
The previous Masters champion took a four-shot lead into the ultimate day at Emirates Golf Membership and by no means relinquished management, regardless of seeing benefit briefly reduce by David Puig, with a level-par 72 sufficient to shut out a convincing victory.
Reed combined two birdies and two bogeys to finish the week on 14 underneath and comfortably forward of England’s Andy Sullivan, who jumped into second after a late birdie burst, with Puig sharing third spot alongside Julien Guerrier.
Former Open champion Francesco Molinari shared fifth spot with Nicolai Hojgaard and Jayden Schaper, as pre-tournament favorite Rory McIlroy carded his worst end result on the occasion since 2008 with a tied-Thirty third end.
McIlroy ended the week 12 strokes again on two underneath alongside defending champion Tyrrell Hatton, with world No 3 Tommy Fleetwood an extra stroke adrift and none of Europe’s victorious Ryder Cup group ending larger than 14th on the leaderboard.
How Reed accomplished dominant Dubai victory
Puig began the day 4 strokes behind Reed and needed to gap from 20 toes on the first to keep away from falling additional again, with the Spaniard overcoming early struggles off the tee to scramble three pars.
Reed missed a 10-foot birdie alternative to increase his lead on the par-five third and carded a three-putt bogey on the subsequent, the place Puig additionally dropped a shot after narrowly lacking the water off the tee.
David Puig threatened a final-round comeback after three consecutive birdies across the flip
The pair exchanged two-putt pars over the following two holes and Reed didn’t convert a chance to increase his lead on the seventh, as Puig adopted a 12-foot birdie on the eighth by choosing up a shot on the subsequent to chop the benefit to 2.
Puig bought up and down from the sand to match Reed’s birdie on the par-five tenth and squandered a wonderful alternative to maneuver inside one in all his enjoying accomplice on the subsequent, lacking a four-foot putt for par after seeing Reed make bogey.
The Spaniard holed from 12 toes on the twelfth to keep away from one other bogey however noticed his hopes fade in a two-shot swing on the par-five subsequent, the place he made bogey – after discovering the greenside bunker together with his third – as Reed rolled in a six-foot birdie to revive his four-shot buffer.
Puig’s title push became a combat simply to safe second when a three-putt bogey on the fifteenth dropped him 5 behind and again alongside Guerrier, who had made an eagle-birdie run early on the ultimate day and completed with a three-under 69.
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Following profitable the Hero Dubai Desert Basic, Patrick Reed admits victory was ‘quite a bit more durable than I anticipated’
Reed’s lead was diminished again to 4 after a sensational end from Sullivan, who birdied 4 of his final seven holes – together with each of his final two – to leap to 10 underneath, though remained in complete and parred his solution to victory.
Reed savours ‘onerous’ victory after Puig ‘present’
Reed misplaced a 54-hole result in McIlroy within the 2023 occasion and posted a top-10 end finally yr’s match, with the 2018 Masters champion constructing on that file in Dubai to say a primary DP World Tour title outdoors of majors and World Golf Championships.
“Today was a lot harder than I expected,” Reed admitted after his win. “I just couldn’t get anything going on that front-nine. I learned a lot today.
“As an alternative of making an attempt to maintain the foot on the fuel early, I attempted to guard that four-shot lead. Subsequent factor you understand David [Puig] goes and birdies eight and 9 to close it down to 2.
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Shane Lowry holed a exceptional 75-foot birdie putt throughout his closing spherical on the Hero Dubai Desert Basic
“My caddie said ‘now it’s a dogfight. Just go shoot under par on the back nine and no one will beat you’. David gave me a gift with a bogey, and from then on it was about not making mistakes.”
What’s subsequent?
The DP World Tour stays within the Center East for the Bapco Energies Bahrain Championship, held on the Royal Golf Membership, with protection beginning on Thursday at 8.30am on Sky Sports activities Golf. Get Sky Sports activities or stream with no contract on NOW.
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