The latest golf news following the conclusion of the Dubai Desert Classic, with Rory McIlroy finishing in a disappointing position in the Middle East
Rory McIlroy was off the pace in Dubai last week(Image: Photo by Waleed Zein/Anadolu via Getty Images)
The Dubai Desert Classic wrapped up on Sunday, with Patrick Reed securing glory by four strokes. The American golfer shot a level-par 72 in his final round to secure a comfortable margin.
He would finish the tournament at 14 under par, in what was his first-ever Rolex series win on the DP World Tour. As well as the Dallah Trophy, Reed bagged a sweet £1.18m for his efforts. He became only the fifth American to secure the trophy, joining the likes of Tiger Woods and Bryson DeChambeau.
Northern Irish golf legend Rory McIlroy recorded his worst result in the competition since 2008, finishing tied-33rd. In the wake of all this, Mirror Sport wraps up all the latest news from the golf world.
JOIN US ON FACEBOOK! All the best sports news and much more on our dedicated Facebook page
McIlroy’s prize money
Despite finishing in 33rd place, McIlroy won’t be going home empty-handed after his showing in Dubai. The world-renowned sportsman will still be taking home £48,043.
Nine players were tied at 33rd, so the prize money was pooled and divided equally between those in that bracket. This left just shy of £50,000 for each player.
READ MORE: Scottie Scheffler’s ‘childish’ financial agreement with caddie as PGA Tour star banks £1.2mREAD MORE: Rory McIlroy prize money as LIV star Patrick Reed wins Dubai Desert Classic
For finishing bottom of the standings, there was still around £12,000 on offer. Emirates Golf Club had attracted a whole host of the world’s most famous stars, including Tommy Fleetwood, Dustin Johnson, Shane Lowry as well as McIlroy. Lowry also struggled and finished in 26th place.
Reed gets honest about LIV deal
As previously mentioned, winner Reed bagged just over £1m for his showing and even spoke about his LIV Golf deal after the win, offering a peek behind the curtain of negotiations as he confirmed his contract had 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.”
Patrick Reed won the Dubai Desert Classic(Image: Photo by Waleed Zein/Anadolu via Getty Images)
He would even go on to suggest finishing inside the top 10 of Europe’s order of merit in order to gain access to the PGA Tour again. “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,” he said.
Reed’s comments aren’t something the PGA Tour or LIV Golf would have liked to be made public and there is currently an ongoing battle between the two as tensions build.
McIlroy’s touching gesture
Dubai Golf’s legendary publishing manager Ganesh Mangathil received a heart-warming gesture from McIlroy as he retired from his role after 27 years.
“When Rory heard that I was retiring, he said he wanted to stay back and meet me,” Ganesh told Khaleej Times. “I was literally crying. Can you imagine one of the best players in the world waiting for you?”
In a video shared on social media by Hero Dubai Desert Classic, McIlroy is seen hugging Ganesh, with the latter shaking his hand in disbelief. McIlroy would hand over a silver memento shaped like a traditional Arabic coffee pot to Ganesh in a touching gesture.
“I have known Rory since he was 14 or 15,” said Ganesh. “I am one of his most ardent fans for the style in which he plays golf, and he personally thanked me for my contributions. What more could I want?”