Patrick Reed took a conservative method to the ultimate spherical on Sunday on the Hero Dubai Desert Basic within the United Arab Emirates, and it paid off as he turned in a 72 and recorded his first victory on the DP World Tour since 2020.
Reed took a four-stroke lead into play Sunday and turned in eight pars and a bogey on the entrance 9 at Emirates Golf Membership. However when David Puig of Spain, his enjoying associate, rattled off three birdies in a row starting at No. 8, Reed countered along with his personal birdie at No. 10 to remain two pictures up.
The ultimate spherical turned Reed’s manner for good on the par-5 No. 13, when his birdie and Puig’s bogey restored the American’s four-stroke lead. Reed closed the spherical with 5 pars and a 14-under 274 for the match.
“As an alternative of maintaining the foot on the fuel early, I attempted to guard that lead since I had a four-shot lead, and subsequent factor , David goes and birdied eight and 9, and shuts it down to 2,” mentioned Reed, who had received the WGC-Mexico Championship in 2020 when it was co-sanctioned by the European Tour.
“We have been capable of get that birdie there on 13 to get to 1 below and (Puig) gave me a present there by bogeying. From there on, simply hit fairways, hit greens and simply do not make any errors.
As an alternative, it was Puig — who, like Reed, performs on LIV Golf — who made the errors, ending with a bogey on No. 15 and a double bogey on the par-5 18th to finish with a 75 and fall from second to seventh place at 7 below.
Englishman Andy Sullivan closed with two birdies to shoot a 71 and end alone in second place at 10 below.
Scores within the 60s have been plentiful within the first three rounds, however solely a handful of gamers managed to complete sub-70 in windy situations on Sunday. One in all them was Julien Guerrier of France, who mixed an eagle, two birdies and a bogey to shoot 69 and seize third place at 9 below par.
First-round chief Francesco Molinari of Italy (72 on Sunday), Jayden Schaper of South Africa (70) and Nicolai Hojgaard of Denmark (70) tied for fourth, six pictures again of Reed.
Viktor Hovland of Norway, who opened the day in third place, had three double bogeys and two birdies to shoot a 76 and end effectively off the tempo in a 14th-place tie.
World No. 2 Rory McIlroy of Northern Eire by no means received untracked on the week, and his 73 on Sunday left him 12 pictures behind Reed and tied for thirty third. World No. 3 Tommy Fleetwood of England shot a 69 to finish the match at 1-under 287.
–Discipline Stage Media
