The China Mail - Reed glides to victory in Dubai Desert Classic

On an overcast day, Reed started the final round on the Majlis course of Emirates Golf Club four shots clear of second-placed David Puig, and shot an even-par 72 with two birdies and two bogeys.

The best score among those finishing in the top-18 was three-under par 69.

Puig drew close with birdies on the eighth and ninth, but the turning point was the par-5 13th where the Spaniard hit his third shot into a bunker and made a bogey.

Reed did not make any birdies after that, but he did not have to. Despite his immense advantage of length off the tee, Puig could not gain ground and was later docked two penalty shots for grounding his club in a bunker at the 18th.

Englishman Andy Sullivan fired a final-round 71 to take second with Frenchman Julien Guerrier one stroke further back in third.

Reed became the sixth American winner of the Dubai Desert Classic with victory set to move him up 18 places to 26th in the official world rankings.

"It feels amazing. It shows how the off-season was, and the things we were working on were successful," said Reed, who finished runner-up to Rory McIlroy in 2023 and then was in the top-10 last year.

"It was nice to be able to come so close in 2023, and to have an opportunity today to win the tournament at the start and then see the lead dwindle, and then to be able to play some solid golf on the back nine."

"It was nice to enjoy the last couple of holes. I think it's the first time I feel comfortable saying there weren't really many mental mistakes this week. For someone who is very aggressive and likes to go for everything, it was nice to see. Hopefully, we continue that this year, play more strategically because it pays off when it works."

- 'Shake the rust off' -

Reed said he has not yet signed a new contract with the breakaway LIV tour, which starts its season in Riyadh in the first week of February.

"We're still finalising the contract," said Reed, adding he was not talking to the PGA Tour to get back his membership.

"I don't like to talk business and stuff while I'm playing, and so, Monday through Wednesday is the only time to really talk about it."

World No. 2 McIlroy, a four-time Desert Classic champion struggled with a 73 and finished tied 33rd at two-under, the first time he has finished outside the top-10 in the tournament since winning it in 2009 for his first title as a professional.

"It was sort of shake the rust off a little bit. See where the game is," he said. "Trying to obviously build up to the Masters."

McIlroy, the defending Masters champion, has changed to cavity-back irons this year after using blades all his life, and is also using a new ball.

"I love my irons and I love the new golf ball. I'm very comfortable with where the equipment is. I think some of the shots I hit, definitely the flight of the ball through the wind is a little bit stronger with these irons, which I like."

D.Peng--ThChM