US golfer Patrick Reed poses with the Hero Dubai Desert Classic trophy at the Emirates Golf Club on Sunday. Image courtesy DPWT.
By Rahul Banerji
Patrick Reed won his first Hero Dubai Desert Classic with a composed performance in challenging conditions at the Emirates Golf Club on Sunday.
Despite a modest start, the 2018 Masters champion maintained control throughout the closing round to secure a commanding victory over a world-class field.
In California, world number 1 Scottie Scheffler sealed his 20th PGA Tour win at the American Express to join Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods as the only players to have crossed that mark before the age of 30.
“Pretty wild,” Scheffler said later. “It’s been a great start to my career.
“It’s been special. I try not to think about that stuff too much. I was just trying to do the things I needed to do to be prepared.”
Reed (69-66-67-72) finished on 14 under 274 for the tournament, sealing the title by four shots in one of the strongest fields assembled in the event’s 37-year history.
The US golfer was runner-up at his last Desert Classic start in 2023 and on Sunday saw England’s Andy Sullivan (71-65-71-71) take second place on 10 under 278.
The Hero Dubai Desert Classic trophy was presented to Reed by Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, chairman and chief executive of Emirates Airline and Group.
Lucrative payday
The LIV Golf star also received a winner’s cheque of $1.53 million, while the runner-up earned $990,000.
France’s Julien Guerrier (73-72-65-69) was third while Spain’s David Puig, who appeared poised to challenge Reed on the back nine, dropped back to take a share of seventh place.
Four-time Desert Classic winner Rory McIlroy had a difficult week, closing with a 73 to be tied 33rd — his first finish outside the top 10 at the event since 2008.
Hero MotoCorp had extended invitations to India’s leading stars Shubhankar Sharma and Yuvraj Singh Sandhu. Both, however, missed the cut in windy and demanding conditions.
“The Hero Dubai Desert Classic once again showcased exceptional golf, reinforcing its status as one of the world’s premier tournaments,” Hero MotoCorp executive chairman Dr Pawan Munjal said.
“Hero MotoCorp is proud to serve as title sponsor for the fourth consecutive year, supporting an event that celebrates excellence, unity, and the enduring spirit of sport.”
Scheffler on song
At La Quinta, Scheffler (63-64-68-66, 27 under 261) was dominant in cruising to the title by four shots despite a bogey and a double en route in his 151st PGA Tour start.
Jason Day, Ryan Gerard, Matt McCarty and Andrew Putnam shared second place on 23 under 265s.
Indian-American star Sahith Theegala continued his comeback after a shaky start with a bogey-free 7 under par 65 to finish inside the top 10.
Theegala rose up the leaderboard to share eighth place on 21-under par for his first top-10 result since the 2024 Tour Championship.
His recovery was remarkable after an opening 1 under 71 left him down in a share of 118th place, but cards of 64, 67 and 65 followed including two bogey-free efforts.
Scheffler began Sunday two shots behind overnight leader Si Woo Kim but unleashed nine birdies, including four in six holes on the front nine to quickly set a hot pace.
The victory also earned him lifetime membership on the Tour.
US teenager Blades Brown, who started alongside Scheffler and captured plenty of attention through the week, briefly threatened but faded as the world no. 1 went into overdrive.
Also read: Koepka’s return to PGA Tour a win for everyone, says Woods
Discover more from Tee Time Tales
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.