McIlroy's Dubai clash Patrick Reed from 'tee-gate' to final round battle
Two players on opposite sides of golf's civil war went head-to-head at last year's Dubai Desert Classic, as Rory McIlroy came up against Patrick Reed.
McIlroy got his hands on the title at the Emirates Golf Club for the third time in 2023, but it was not without drama, as he faced off with Reed. The Northern Irishman had emerged as one of LIV Golf's biggest critics following its inception in 2022. Reed meanwhile became one of the breakaway league's marquee signings.
The pair were reunited in the Middle East though, with McIlroy carrying out his usual Dubai Desert Classic duties, whilst Reed also opted to enter amid LIV's ongoing wait for world ranking points.
READ MORE: Joaquin Niemann makes DP World Tour return due to LIV Golf’s "unfair" world ranking snub
Even before a ball was hit though, tension between the pair was in the air after McIlroy revealed he was issued court papers to his house on Christmas Eve from the former PGA Tour star. The papers centred around a defamation case Reed was filing against members of the golf media.
Bubba Watson shares details of horror knee injury ahead of LIV Golf debut
In the days leading up to the event, Reed approached McIlroy and his caddie Harry Diamond with a handshake, one the Northern Irishman opted to ignore. In the aftermath the American appeared to throw a tee peg at his rival, forming golf's latest saga, 'tee gate'.
Addressing the snub, McIlroy said at the time: "Patrick came up to say hello and I didn’t really want him to. From my recollection, that was it. I didn’t see a tee. I didn’t feel a tee. Obviously someone else saw that. But it’s definitely a storm in a teacup. I can’t believe it’s actually turned into a story, it’s nothing.
Click to follow the Mirror US on Google News to stay up to date with all the latest news, sport and entertainment stories.
Rory McIlroy battled it out with Patrick Reed“I was subpoenaed by his lawyer on Christmas Eve. 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.”
Despite playing down the tee throw, McIlroy's frustrations with Reed were clear to see, and the drama only gathered more legs when the pair found themselves at the top of the leaderboard come the final few holes of the week. McIlroy entered the fourth round with a three-shot lead, and was four clear of Reed.
Despite being on the cusp of victory, Reed was keen to make sure the Northern Irishman did not canter over the line as he battled his way back into contention. McIlroy - who had failed to find his best in the final round of the week - finally kicked into gear at the right time though.
The four-time major winner managed to birdie the 72nd and final hole of the week to finish a single shot ahead of Reed. From start to finish the week was one dominated by the McIlroy-Reed tussle, which made it all the harder for the world No. 2 to finally get over the line.
"I think mentally today was probably one of the toughest rounds I've ever had to play because it would be really easy to let your emotions get in the way," he said in the aftermath. "I just had to really concentrate on focusing on myself. Forget who was up there on the leaderboard, and I did that really, really well.
"I feel like I showed a lot of mental strength out there today, and again, something to really build on for the rest of the year." McIlroy is back in Dubai this week to defend his crown, but this time around will have the chance to do so without the noise surrounding his rivalry with Reed.
Read more similar news:
Comments:
comments powered by Disqus
