Patrick Reed plays his second shot on the final hole at the Hero Dubai Desert Classic.
Andrew Redington/Getty images
Patrick Reed likes January. In fact, the American’s victory in the Hero Dubai Desert Classic on Sunday was his fourth in the first month of the year, a tally that represents precisely one third of his career total of 12 worldwide wins.
The 35-year-old’s excellent performance not only placed him firmly on the short list for Masters contenders in April, it also highlighted an essential conundrum at the heart of the sport.
Because in carding a level-par final round of 72 on the Majlis Course at Emirates Golf Club, Reed successfully kept the field at arm’s length. He had started the day four shots clear and he ended it that way on 14-under 274. Only briefly, at the turn, did Spain’s David Puig get within two shots, but for the most part it was a textbook example of front-running.
In theory, of course, we should admire such feats not least because when a golfer owns a significant advantage before frittering it away we’re quick to primly suggest he or she should have played in conservative fashion for the win.
Put simply, we’re a demanding lot.
The Sky Sports commentary team didn’t even bother to pretend they were frustrated by the straightforward nature of the result, churlishly bemoaning the difficulty of creating drama. Not that Reed is likely to be remotely bothered, of course. In the past, he’s been accused of far worse crimes than being dull. It was water off a duck’s back then and will be so again.
“I tried to protect the lead and, next thing you know, David shuts it down to two.”
Patrick Reed
That said, he admitted afterwards that the tenor of the round had changed with Puig’s short-lived challenge.
“I tried to protect the lead and, next thing you know, David shuts it down to two,” Reed said. “[My caddie, Kessler Karain] was like, ‘Hey, now it’s a dogfight. Let’s get going. Go shoot under-par on the back nine, no one will beat you.’”
Reed did exactly that and became the ninth golfer to claim victory on the Majlis Course and also at the Masters. At first glance a desert layout in the Middle East and the sport’s most famous major championship-hosting course have little in common.
But both favour a draw for the right-hander and have back nines that offer birdie and eagle opportunities alongside the threat of double bogey. Golfers can therefore rapidly gain shots on the card (and also swiftly lose them).
On this occasion Reed had no need to attack in traditional Augusta Sunday fashion, but he will be encouraged about his chances of adding to his 2018 Masters victory in 10 weeks’ time.
In his post-victory press conference, Reed also confirmed that he is yet to sign with LIV Golf in 2026. “We’re still finalising the contract,” he said. “We’re not complete on that yet.”
Asked if he was also talking to the PGA Tour he replied: “Not right now.”
Although a little cagey when asked if he played his last LIV event he said: “Not that I know of. At the moment I plan on teeing it up in Riyadh [Feb. 4], and I’d be surprised if we’re not.”
Elsewhere, the value of the lucrative Rolex Series events to DP World Tour journeymen was revealed by Englishman Andy Sullivan’s solo second and Frenchman Julien Guerrier ending the week alone in third: the finishes tie up their cards for next year.
Puig foundered on the back nine but his tie for seventh was a 10th finish of T12 or better in his last 13 starts on the DP World Tour – a run that includes a victory in last November’s BMW Australian PGA Championship.
There were two other notable results. Francesco Molinari’s share of fourth was the Italian’s best finish anywhere since he was third in the WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play two weeks before he came so close to winning the 2019 Masters. And the reigning Masters champion, Rory McIlroy, broke a run of 12 straight top-10 finishes at Emirates with a flat T33.
One way or another, Augusta cast an unlikely shadow across Dubai last week.
Matt Cooper
