Patrick Reed claimed the fourth DP World Tour title of his career with a composed four-shot victory at the 2026 Hero Dubai Desert Classic.
The 35-year-old stayed patient on a testing front nine as he carded eight pars and one dropped shot to reach the turn with his overnight advantage cut in half to two shots.
David Puig completed a hat-trick of birdies from the eighth to briefly sit one back before Reed signed for his first birdie at the tenth.
But when Reed birdied the 13th and Puig dropped a shot on the same hole, the World Number 44 regained his four-shot lead with five holes to play and he never looked back.
Reed parred his way home for a 14 under par total to become the sixth American winner of the Dallah trophy with his first Rolex Series event success at Emirates Golf Club.
"I think the biggest thing this week that was so special is I've won on every tour except this one," Reed said at his winner's press conference.
"Even though online it says I have three wins, one was a Major and two were WGC events. So they are all co-sanctioned events.
"It's something that's always kind of been eating at me, sitting there not actually having a win over here.
"And to come to a place where we had a chance in 2023 and allowed that one to kind of slip by, it was very important for me to come out here and play well and to have that opportunity; and to close it off means a lot to me, especially doing it here in Dubai, which I love coming to, makes it even more special."
The first movement came at the par-three fourth when Puig salvaged a bogey from a plugged lie. Reed safely found the green with his tee-shot, but the American three-putted as he missed the chance to extend his four-shot lead.
Reed could not improve on 13 under as he continued par streak, but Puig made his move as the final group reached the turn.
He picked up his first birdie of the day at the eighth and when he dialled in his approach to six feet for birdie at the ninth, he was two behind at 11 under.
Reed held his nerve to find the par-five tenth green in two, but he had to watch Puig card his third straight birdie at the same hole.
Patrick Reed wins the 2026 Hero Dubai Desert Classic and claims his first Rolex Series title 🏆#HeroDubaiDesertClassic | #RolexSeries pic.twitter.com/3Masi601Hi
— DP World Tour (@DPWorldTour) January 25, 2026
His lead was cut to one, but only briefly as the American found the cup with a short birdie putt to return to 14 under.
Both men failed to find the green at the par-three 11th, with Reed missing his par putt from five feet. Puig had four feet to trim the leader's advantage to one, only to miss his par effort.
The momentum swung back in the American's favour with a birdie at the 13th and when his Spanish playing partner, who produced a remarkable par save at the 12th, bogeyed the same hole, Reed was four ahead at 14 under.
Puig's chance of victory proved even slimmer when he bogeyed the 15th as the leader opened up a five-shot advantage with three to play.
Reed had looks to increase his lead as he finished with five straight pars for his first DP World Tour crown since the 2020 WGC-Mexico Championship.
Andy Sullivan fought back from a shaky front nine as he finished birdie-birdie in his one-under 71 to sit in solo second at ten under.
Frenchman Julien Guerrier carded an eagle, two birdies and a bogey for his best finish at a Rolex Series event in third at nine under.
Denmark's Nicolai Højgaard, Francesco Molinari and Race to Dubai Rankings delivered by DP World leader Jayden Schaper were one shot further back, while Portugal's Ricardo Gouveia, Englishman Marcus Armitage and Puig, who was given a two-shot penalty for grounding a club in the bunker at the last, finished at seven under.
