2 days ago
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A penny for the thoughts of the PGA Tour hierarchy, who awoke in Ponte Vedra Beach to news of a LIV duel in Dubai. A penny for the thoughts of LIV’s office bearers, who had information they would presumably rather remain private put into the public domain by the new Desert Classic champion.
Patrick Reed emerged from the joust, thereby delivering a reminder that he remains among the finest golfers in the world. David Puig did not even receive the consolation of second place, his slow finish and a strong one from Andy Sullivan elbowing the Spaniard into third.
Further ignominy arrived for Puig after close of play; he was handed a two-stroke penalty after grounding his club in a bunker behind the 18th green. Make that a tie for seventh for Puig. Ouch.
That it was Reed versus Puig for so long carried broader intrigue. It highlighted an anomaly. Neither can play on the PGA Tour because of their LIV membership. The PGA Tour has a significant deal to underpin prize funds on this, the DP World Tour, until the end of next year. The DP World Tour continues to accommodate LIV rebels, which can lead to eye-catching scenarios such as the one that played out on the Majilis Course.
With the PGA Tour now bullish about seeing off LIV and its Saudi Arabian riches, a theory endorsed by Brooks Koepka’s recent swapping of domains, it is hardly a leap of faith to suggest those in Florida might ask the DP World Tour to reassess tournament entry rules if the dollars are to keep flowing across the Atlantic. When criteria was created to allow Koepka’s return, it was carefully created so that the likes of Reed not apply. Yet here he was, departing the Emirates Club with $1.5m that essentially comes in part from the PGA Tour. Golf remains in a weird and wonderful place. Reed used his press conference to reveal his LIV deal has expired.
“We’re still finalising the contract,” Reed said. “We’re not complete on that yet. I don’t like to talk business and stuff while I’m playing, and so it’s like Monday through Wednesday is the only time to really talk about it.”
Reed even floated the idea of finishing inside the top 10 of Europe’s order of merit, therefore potentially earning a path back to the PGA Tour. “If I ended up not playing on LIV this year, obviously I would be out here playing more on this tour and trying to secure one of those spots in the top 10,” Reed said. He is suddenly in a useful bargaining position.
Earlier Reed, one of this sport’s truly global performers, eased to his four-shot success, achieved at 14 under par with a closing 72. The finish was anticlimactic in nature. Reed has thereby scratched an itch, created by missing out by one to Rory McIlroy in the Desert Classic’s 2023 staging.
Reed’s advantage over Puig was four at the start of play. The deficit was cut in half by the turn thanks to Puig birdies at the 8th and 9th. Reed, though, was to steady himself. Shots collected by the former Masters winner at the 10th and 13th, offset only marginally by a bogey at the 11th, came as Puig toiled. Puig played the closing eight holes in three over before it became five thanks to that penalty and a seven on the 18th. Sullivan’s inward half of 33 was sufficient for second. Julien Guerrier took third. Francesco Molinari, Nicolai Højgaard and Jayden Schaper shared fourth.
McIlroy signed off with a 73 for the most unusual of things, a finish outside the top 20 in Dubai. “I was stuck in neutral for most of the week,” the Masters champion said.
