DUBAI, February 4, 2024 – American Patrick Reed secured a commanding four-shot victory at the Dubai Desert Classic on Sunday, finishing with a level-par 72 and a tournament total of 14 under par. This win marks his first triumph in a Rolex Series event on the DP World Tour.
Reed Holds On for Desert Classic Crown
The 2018 Masters champion navigated a challenging final round to claim a notable victory on the DP World Tour.
- Patrick Reed finished at 14 under par to win the dubai Desert classic.
- Reed, the 2018 Masters champion, started the final round with a four-shot lead.
- The American golfer admitted to a “grind” on the front nine,focusing on protecting his advantage.
- David Puig finished second, four shots behind Reed.
Reed, 35, began the final round with a pleasant four-shot cushion over fellow LIV golfer David Puig. Despite a slow start-failing to register a birdie on the front nine-he skillfully maintained his lead. The tension briefly escalated as Puig birdied the eighth and ninth holes, narrowing the gap, but both players then traded a birdie and a bogey on the 10th and 11th holes respectively.
The decisive moment came on the 13th hole, where Puig bogeyed and Reed capitalized with his second birdie of the day. This solidified reed’s position, paving the way for a relatively stress-free finish. The former world number six demonstrated resilience and strategic play throughout the tournament.
“I couldn’t really get anything going on the front nine, it was a bit of a grind today,” Reed shared. “Instead of putting the foot on the gas early, I was just trying to protect that four-shot lead. I didn’t think I hit it that badly, I just couldn’t get anything close.”
Reed elaborated on the mental challenge of maintaining a lead, explaining, “When you’re trying to protect, sometimes you misjudge things. It’s like instead of looking at flags, you’re looking away and then you misjudge the wind and all of a sudden you’re 50 feet away. That’s kind of what happened.”
