Rory McIlroy holds off Patrick Reed challenge to win Dubai Desert Classic thriller after LIV dispute
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Published 30/01/2023 at 15:53 GMT
Rory McIlroy won the Dubai Desert Classic after finishing with back-to-back birdies to pip Patrick Reed to the trophy. World No. 1 McIlroy and Reed were involved in a dispute at the start of the tournament and they battled until the end to see who would emerge victorious. McIlroy said he was pleased with his "mental strength" and the result was "probably sweeter than it should be or needs to be".
McIlroy 1-0 Reed - Rory wins Dubai Desert Classic after Reed charge
Rory McIlroy held off Patrick Reed in thrilling fashion to win the Dubai Desert Classic.
McIlroy led by three shots heading into the final round but Reed – who was involved in a testy pre-tournament clash with McIlroy – roared into contention by making up six shots in his first 11 holes.
Reed birdied the final hole to move level, but McIlroy finished with back-to-back birdies to claim victory by one shot.
"It means a lot," said world No. 1 McIlroy.
"It was a battle all day. Honestly it's been a battle all week. I really feel like I haven't had my best all week but I just managed my game so well and played really smart.
"I feel like I showed a lot of mental strength out there today, something to really build on for the rest of the year.
"I'm going to enjoy this. This is probably sweeter than it should be or needs to be but I feel like I've still got some stuff to work on. It's a great start to the year and a really good foundation to work from."
The big talking point ahead of the tournament was an incident between McIlroy and Reed on the driving range.
Reed, who has joined the breakaway LIV Golf series, was blanked when he tried to approach McIlroy, who has spoken out strongly in opposition of LIV.
Reed responded by flicking an LIV tee towards McIlroy and said afterwards “if you're going to act like an immature little child then you might as well be treated like one".
McIlroy explained why he didn’t want to talk to Reed on the range.
“I was subpoenaed by his lawyer on Christmas Eve," said McIlroy, who has reportedly been called as a witness in Reed's defamation case against the PGA Tour among others.
"So, trying to have a nice time with my family and someone shows up on your doorstep and delivers that, you're not going to take that well.
"I'm living in reality, I don't know where he's living. If I were in his shoes, I wouldn't expect a hello or a handshake."
Although McIlroy and Reed were not paired together over the course of a rain-affected tournament in Dubai, they both played their part in a thrilling finale.
Reeed, who was in the penultimate group out, quickly made up ground on McIlroy with a red-hot start.
By the 14th hole they were level on 18-under par. McIlroy dropped his first shot of the day at the 15th, but Reed couldn’t take advantage as he also dropped a shot.
Reed birdied the final hole to move back to 18-under par, but McIlroy delivered a winning response as finished with two birdies in a row to clinch victory.
Lucas Herbert finished third on 16-under par while Ian Poulter, who also plays on the LIV circuit, finished with a double bogey to drop to 13-under par.
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