DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — Patrick Reed stored everybody at bay and closed with an even-par 72 on Sunday for a four-shot victory within the Dubai Desert Traditional, his first European tour title that strikes him again into the highest 30 on the earth for the primary time since he joined LIV Golf.
Reed additionally made sufficient cash from the Rolex Sequence occasion that it ought to cowl his European tour fines for enjoying within the Saudi-backed rival league, assuming he can type out a brand new LIV contract.
“Win early and that may handle it,” Reed jokingly stated Saturday on the subject of European tour fines that LIV Golf now not pays on the gamers’ behalf.
Reed revealed he’s nonetheless negotiating a brand new contract to play on LIV, which begins on Feb. 4 in Saudi Arabia. The 35-year-old American, who’s enjoying the European tour subsequent week in Bahrain, stated he absolutely expects to be with LIV and a contract could have already got been sorted out. His focus was solely on golf this week, and he took care of enterprise.
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Any drama at Emirates Golf Membership did not final lengthy.
Reed seized management with center rounds of 66 and 67 to construct a four-shot lead over David Puig of Spain going into the final day. Reed stated he discovered himself getting too conservative — no birdies, one bogey over the entrance 9 — and the lead was reduce in half when the Spaniard made birdie on Nos. 8 and 9.
“As an alternative of simply conserving the foot on the fuel early, I attempted to guard that lead,” Reed stated.
He stated his caddie instructed him it was a dogfight and Reed responded. The lead remained at two pictures after Reed and Puig every began birdie-bogey on the again 9, after which it turned shortly — a birdie for Reed on the par-5 thirteenth and a bogey for Puig.
The lead was again to 4 and Reed coasted from there, ending on 14-under 274 for his twelfth title worldwide — 9 on the PGA Tour, one every on the European tour, Asian Tour and LIV. Reed has received two World Golf Championships and the Masters that rely towards his European tour tally.
Puig, in the meantime, tumbled to a tie for seventh when he was penalized two pictures when it was decided he grounded his membership in a bunker on the 18th. He closed with a 75, the penalty costing him about 15 spots on the earth rating.
Andy Sullivan of England had a 71 to complete alone in second, with Julien Guerrier of France (69) one other shot behind.
Rory McIlroy was by no means within the combine from his opening 73. He completed with one other 73 to tie for thirty third, his first time to complete out of the highest 30 since he missed the reduce within the Canadian Open final June.
The victory was price extra than simply $1.5 million to Reed. His transfer into the world rating all however assures he’ll stay excessive sufficient to be exempt for all 4 majors this yr.
“It is at all times good to lock up the majors,” stated Reed, who was not on the U.S. Open or British Open final yr. “Any time you go forward and get a win, it is particular. … To take a seat there and have as little quantity of occasions that I’ve performed to be within the prime 30 is one thing that exhibits that my golf recreation continues to be the place I need it to be.”
Reed has been banned from the PGA Tour since becoming a member of LIV in 2022. The U.S. tour not too long ago provided a pathway again to LIV gamers offered they received a serious or The Gamers Championship since 2022. Reed received the Masters in 2018 and wouldn’t be eligible.
He’s an honorary lifetime member of the European tour along with his Masters title, and he can stake his declare as maybe essentially the most world participant in golf, keen to journey with out the assure of massive look cash. However he faces fines when he performs LIV occasions held the identical week as European tour occasions.
“I might moderately simply tee it up and play,” Reed stated Saturday. “And if it prices me this (or) that, no matter, I will go play.”
