TELFER’S THOUGHTS 26.1.26

Controversy has been the constant companion of the man who won last week’s rich Dubai Desert Classic.

Thirty-five-year-old Patrick Reed beat off a world class field including Rory McIlroy, Tyrell Hatton, Tommy Fleetwood, Ryan Fox, Dustin Johnson and Padraig Harrington.

It was Reed’s first win on the DP world Tour since 2020. He also won nine times on the USPGA Tour before joining the LIV Golf circuit in 2023. One of those nine victories was the 2018 US Masters. But throughout his professional career Reed has been dogged by a serious of cheating allegations. At the 2019 Hero World Challenge Reed copped a 2-stroke penalty for clearing sand behind his ball with two practice swings in a waste bunker. Reed claimed it was an accident. At the 2003 Dubai Classic controversy again arose from a shot Reed hit which became stuck in a tree. He identified the ball as his even though television replays suggested it might have been a different ball. He dismissed the controversy as a ‘non-issue’.

Reed was clearly angered at these allegations, particularly the criticisms he was copping from the Golf Channel and its expert commentator Brandel Chamblee, so he filed a $750million lawsuit against Chamblee and the Golf Channel for what he claimed was damage to his reputation. The case was thrown out by the judge who then required Reed to pay the legal fees of both Chamblee and the Golf Channel.

Fortunately for Reed his time at LIV Golf appears to have been free of any such controversies. Certainly the only focus on him at this recent Dubai Classic was on the quality of his golf. Here there was much to admire over the days in the desert, particularly his two mid-rounds - a 66 on Day 2 and 67 on Day 3 - which were the foundation stones he laid for his victory on Day 4. Going into the last round he held a 4-shot lead which he never surrendered. On a difficult windy day with the greens running at turbo speed he held his game together to shoot an even par round. The merit of that

score can be seen in the context of what his nearest rivals were doing. Only two players out of the top 10 finishers managed to break 70, yet Reed’s even par score of 72 was till enough for him to win by 4 strokes.

Reed, like a lot of the top ranked names who defected to LIV Golf, has become increasingly incensed at the refusal of the board behind the Official World Golf Rankings to grant ranking points to LIV Golf tournaments. The effect of this has seen a number of big LIV Golf names no longer eligible to play in any of the Majors because they don’t rank inside the world‘s top 50. So, annoyed by this snub, they have taken legal action but to no avail. One way round this ranking points road block for LIV Golfers is to play in DP World Tour events which do attract ranking points. This route, practised regularly by Reed, has worked very neatly in his favour. He’s now ranked inside the world’s top 50 which sees him qualified to play in the four Majors this year as long as he stays inside the top 50.

Most of the big names playing in Dubai had weeks they’d rather forget I’d suggest.

In a field of just 100 starters Rory McIlroy finished tied for 33rd , Tommy Fleetwood a shot back was in 41st place, followed by Ryan Fox tied for 45th.

Daniel Hillier did slightly better than those three big names finishing in a tie for 26th place which has seen him slip just the one place to 6th on the all-important Race to Dubai leaderboard. Hillier must finish season’s end inside the top 10 which will grant him exemption into next year’s USPGA Tour.

Kazuma Kobori missed the cut by 1 shot but he was in pretty good company. Two former Major Champions, Dustin Johnston and Padraig Harrington, also came up short after two rounds and both had the weekend off.