Patrick Reed held off LIV Golf League rival David Puig to claim a maiden Rolex Series title with a four-stroke victory at the DP World Tour’s Hero Dubai Desert Classic in Dubai.
The former Masters champion took a four-shot lead into the final day at Emirates Golf Club and never relinquished control, despite seeing advantage temporarily cut by David Puig, with a level-par 72 enough to close out a convincing victory.
Reed mixed two birdies and two bogeys to end the week on 14 under and comfortably ahead of England's Andy Sullivan, who jumped into second after a late birdie burst, with Puig sharing third spot alongside Julien Guerrier.
Former Open champion Francesco Molinari shared fifth spot with Nicolai Hojgaard and Jayden Schaper, as pre-tournament favourite Rory McIlroy carded his worst result at the event since 2008 with a tied-33rd finish.
McIlroy ended the week 12 strokes back on two under alongside defending champion Tyrrell Hatton, with world No 3 Tommy Fleetwood a further stroke adrift and none of Europe's victorious Ryder Cup team finishing higher than 14th on the leaderboard.
Puig started the day four strokes behind Reed and had to hole from 20 feet at the first to avoid falling further back, with the Spaniard overcoming early struggles off the tee to scramble three pars.
Reed missed a 10-foot birdie opportunity to extend his lead at the par-five third and carded a three-putt bogey at the next, where Puig also dropped a shot after narrowly missing the water off the tee.
The pair exchanged two-putt pars over the next two holes and Reed failed to convert an opportunity to extend his lead at the seventh, as Puig followed a 12-foot birdie at the eighth by picking up a shot at the next to cut the advantage to two.
Puig got up and down from the sand to match Reed's birdie at the par-five 10th and squandered a glorious opportunity to move within one of his playing partner at the next, missing a four-foot putt for par after seeing Reed make bogey.
The Spaniard holed from 12 feet at the 12th to avoid another bogey but saw his hopes fade in a two-shot swing at the par-five next, where he made bogey - after finding the greenside bunker with his third - as Reed rolled in a six-foot birdie to restore his four-shot buffer.
Puig's title push turned into a fight just to secure second when a three-putt bogey at the 15th dropped him five behind and back alongside Guerrier, who had made an eagle-birdie run early on the final day and finished with a three-under 69.
Reed's lead was reduced back to four after a sensational finish from Sullivan, who birdied four of his last seven holes - including both of his last two - to jump to 10 under, although remained in total and parred his way to victory.
Reed lost a 54-hole lead to McIlroy in the 2023 event and posted a top-10 finish at last year's tournament, with the 2018 Masters champion building on that record in Dubai to claim a first DP World Tour title outside of majors and World Golf Championships.
"Today was a lot harder than I expected," Reed admitted after his win. "I just couldn't get anything going on that front-nine. I learned a lot today.
"Instead of trying to keep the foot on the gas early, I tried to protect that four-shot lead. Next thing you know David [Puig] goes and birdies eight and nine to shut it down to two.
"My caddie said 'now it's a dogfight. Just go shoot under par on the back nine and no one will beat you'. David gave me a gift with a bogey, and from then on it was about not making mistakes."
The DP World Tour stays in the Middle East for the Bapco Energies Bahrain Championship, held at the Royal Golf Club, with coverage starting on Thursday at 8.30am on Your Site Golf. or .
