Patrick Reed took a conservative approach to the final round on Sunday at the Hero Dubai Desert Classic in the United Arab Emirates, and it paid off as he turned in a 72 and recorded his first victory on the DP World Tour since 2020.
Reed took a four-stroke lead into play Sunday and turned in eight pars and a bogey on the front nine at Emirates Golf Club. But when David Puig of Spain, his playing partner, rattled off three birdies in a row beginning at No. 8, Reed countered with his own birdie at No. 10 to stay two shots up.
The final round turned Reed’s way for good on the par-5 No. 13, when his birdie and Puig’s bogey restored the American’s four-stroke lead. Reed closed the round with five pars and a 14-under 274 for the tournament.
“Instead of keeping the foot on the gas early, I tried to protect that lead since I had a four-shot lead, and next thing you know, David goes and birdied eight and nine, and shuts it down to two,” said Reed, who had won the WGC-Mexico Championship in 2020 when it was co-sanctioned by the European Tour.
“We were able to get that birdie there on 13 to get to 1 under and (Puig) gave me a gift there by bogeying. From there on, just hit fairways, hit greens and just don’t make any mistakes.
Instead, it was Puig — who, like Reed, plays on LIV Golf — who made the mistakes, finishing with a bogey on No. 15 and a double bogey on the par-5 18th to end with a 75 and fall from second to seventh place at 7 under.
Englishman Andy Sullivan closed with two birdies to shoot a 71 and finish alone in second place at 10 under.
Scores in the 60s were plentiful in the first three rounds, but only a handful of players managed to finish sub-70 in windy conditions on Sunday. One of them was Julien Guerrier of France, who combined an eagle, two birdies and a bogey to shoot 69 and grab third place at 9 under par.
First-round leader Francesco Molinari of Italy (72 on Sunday), Jayden Schaper of South Africa (70) and Nicolai Hojgaard of Denmark (70) tied for fourth, six shots back of Reed.
Viktor Hovland of Norway, who opened the day in third place, had three double bogeys and two birdies to shoot a 76 and finish well off the pace in a 14th-place tie.
World No. 2 Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland never got untracked on the week, and his 73 on Sunday left him 12 shots behind Reed and tied for 33rd. World No. 3 Tommy Fleetwood of England shot a 69 to end the tournament at 1-under 287.
