Reed Delivers LIV Golf Back-To-Back Hero Dubai Desert Classic Success

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Patrick Reed has brilliantly delivered LIV Golf back-to-back success at the Hero Dubai Desert Classic.

Reed, 35, was unchallenged over the final, teeing-up leading by four and capturing a fourth DP World Tour (DPWT) victory by four over the host Majlis course

The proud Texan was contesting the Rolex Series event for a third occasion, having finished runner-up two years ago and sharting 10th place a year ago to fellow LIV Golf colleague Tyrell Hatton.

The 2018 Masters champ produced a rock solid level par 72, posting two birdies at the 10th and 13th holes with a similar number of bogeys.

While his lead had been reduced to just two near mid-round a picture of calmness finding the fairway with his drive, laying-up shy of the water with his second, chipping a third to 35-feet and from there, two-putting for a par.

And it was very laid-back Reed, taking off his 4Aces GC cap to shake hands with his playing partners before embracing his own caddie Kessler Karain, who is also Reed’s brother-in-law. He is the brother of Justine Reed, and took over from caddying for Reed in 2014.

Though there a little set-back for Reed and everyone as it was raining when Reed was handed the famed trophy but it didn’t dampen Reed’s joy.

“It hasn’t fully set in yet. But yeah, today was a lot harder than I expected. I knew it was going to be. I just couldn’t really get anything going on the front nine,” said Reed.

“I learned a lot about the round today. Instead of just keeping the foot on the gas early, I tried to protect that lead since I had a four-shot ead, and next thing you know, David (Puig) goes and birdies 8 and 9 and shuts it down to two.

“Even Kess (Caddy) was like, “Hey, now it’s a dogfight. Now let’s get going. Go shoot under par on the back nine, no one will beat you.

“We were able to get that birdie on 13 to get to 1-under and he gave me a gift there by bogeying, and from there on, just hit fairways, hit greens and just don’t make any mistakes”.

Reed’s win is a 279th DPWT success by an American since the Tour was founded in 1972.  It while it is also Reed’s fourth win in his 121st Tour event, it’s a first ‘regular’ Tour win on the DPWT in having already enjoyed success on the PGA Tour, Asian Tour and last year on the LIV Golf Tour. (Author’s note .. Of course, Reed’s yet to win on the Australasian Tour).

“I think the biggest thing this week that was so special is I’ve won on every tour except this one,” said Reed.

“Even though online, it says I have three wins, one was a major and two were WGC events. So they are all co-sanctioned events.

‘To close it off means a lot to me and it’s something that’s always kind of been eating at me, sitting there not actually having a win over here. To close it off means a lot to me, especially doing it here in Dubai, which I love coming to, makes it even more special.”

And Reed is taking his winning form to next week’s Bapco Energies Bahrain Championship.

England’s Andy Sullivan produced a 71 to grab second place at 10-under while Spain’s and fellow LIV Golf star David Puig (73) and Frenchman Julien Guerrier (69) shared third at nine-under.

Four-time Dubai champ Rory McIlroy, and on the occasion of a 20th anniversary in first contesting the event, was hardly sighted all week signing for rounds of 73, 69, 71 and a poor closing 73 to end in a share of 33rd, a distant 12 shots shy of Reed.



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