Patrick Reed has put himself in a strong position heading into the final round of the Dubai Desert Classic.
Reed has not won on the DP World Tour since 2020, despite his good form over the past year.
That could change this weekend, as he holds a four-shot advantage over fellow LIV player David Puig going into Sunday’s final round.
Reed recently highlighted just how challenging the course is, making his 14-under-par score through three rounds even more impressive.
The LIV Golf star’s frequent play to stay in the world’s top 50 is truly commendable and deserves great respect.
If Reed wins in Dubai on Sunday, it will prove that all the hard work has been worth it.
But is his game sharp enough to secure the victory on the final day in the desert?
Patrick Reed reflects on his third round in Dubai after carding a 67
Watching Reed out on the course Saturday, you would have thought he was playing some of his best golf.
But even though he put together another good score, he did not sound entirely pleased with how things felt early on.
Despite what looked like a solid round from the outside, Reed mentioned that it took him some time to get comfortable with his swing.
He said: “Obviously at the end, it was definitely a solid … good score.
“Early in the round, just didn’t really settle out there.
“Even after the birdies on two and three, it was just kind of one of those things that the swing didn’t feel a hundred percent, but I was missing it where I need to and just relying on my putter to work.
“On seven, it clicked there. When I hit a really good drive on eight. From that point on from there, I felt like the swing was really solid and I had it locked in, and I was able to take advantage of the par fives.”
The American also spoke about which part of his game has stood out this week.
“I think the biggest thing right now is the driving,” the 35-year-old began by saying.
“I feel like I’m driving the ball a little better right now. You know, early this week, just seeing a couple putts go in, after last year, I felt like it was one of those kind of half of the seasons where I felt like I was doing a lot of things really well.
“I was hitting a lot of putts and the balls weren’t going in. There were a lot of burned edges.
“Once I saw it go in this week, seems like the putter is back behaving doing what it’s supposed to, and allows me to free up the rest of my golf game.”
If Reed can replicate what he has done over the first three days at Emirates Golf Club, he will be hard to catch come Sunday.
Patrick Reed looks ahead to Dubai Desert Classic final round
The 35-year-old American is in a strong position to add another win to his career tally, sitting atop the leaderboard heading into the final day.
After carding a 67 on Saturday, Reed was asked if he is looking forward to the chance of closing out the tournament.
“You’re always excited, showing up on Sunday with a lead,” he replied.
“I feel like that’s what I feel like all of us live for as players, competitors, to have a chance to win on Sundays and play late on Sundays and just battle out with all the guys. I know it’s not going to be easy, it never is, and doesn’t matter how big of a lead you have.
“Looking forward to tomorrow and just hopefully go out there and keep doing what I’m doing, putting well and hitting fairways and greens.”
Reed currently holds a strong position in the Dubai Desert Classic; a win there would significantly boost his world ranking.
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