– Patrick Reed (-14) has signed a 67 in the third round of the Hero Dubai Desert Classic and is flying towards his first victory in the regular schedule of the European Tour (excluding Majors and WGC), where it was becoming an anomaly that the Texan had not claimed victory after 43 tournaments already played, since he first played an Alfred Dunhill Links nearly fifteen years ago (2011).
Today he started with a bogey on the 1st hole after a poor start, but this guy doesn’t waste time lamenting or dwelling on misfortune. Few master the art of moving on better. He responded with two consecutive birdies and all was well again. Then, after another poor start on the 6th and the resulting bogey, he again replied with a valuable birdie on the 7th, after hitting a great shot from the tee on this par 3 with a tricky pin position.
– This all means, among other things, that it would be unusual for Reed not to be able to take advantage of the four-shot lead he has in the final pairing tomorrow, especially on a course where he feels really comfortable: he has already played eleven competitive rounds at the Majlis course of the Emirates Golf Club in Dubai and has delivered ten cards under par, with a total of -41…
– Stranger things have happened, of course. Yesterday, the undersigned boldly claimed that Rory McIlroy (-3) would somehow join the handful of contenders for victory today after an excellent Saturday charge at his Middle Eastern private estate, yet the great Northern Irish champion has been left out of the equation and barely managed to get going throughout this third round. We also counted on Tyrrell Hatton (-1) in his title defence, but a round of 76 left him bruised on the canvas. Reed can and should win, because even a round at par could be enough for him on Sunday, but he will still have to work for it and even overcome some moments of uncertainty. Perhaps it will be his partner in the final pairing, David Puig (-10), who can truly challenge the Texan’s Sunday stroll…
– Reed and Puig are two of the eleven LIV Golf players who are (or were) at this event, including some newcomers like Smylie, Detry, or Perez, who have not yet debuted in the Saudi League. And it’s not surprising to see the American and the Spaniard up there. In fact, they are two of the best ambassadors of LIV outside the millionaire bubble. Moreover, it could even be said that Puig is a sharper player when tested in other tours…
– The numbers of the player from La Garriga outside of LIV Golf are worthy of study. Fascinating, in any case. He has played 36 tournaments counting towards the world ranking, not including this week’s, and has three victories and twelve top 5 finishes… In other words: he finishes in the top five in one out of every three tournaments. If we delve into the details, his specific performance on the DP World Tour (which has been explained many times as he has added tournaments) is truly astonishing, because he practically never drops out of the top ten and has already managed to win in just eleven attempts, beyond the Majors. But it would be too simplistic to conclude that Puig’s natural place, where he best expresses his competitive character, is away from the Saudi League. Moreover, Puig is who he is thanks mainly to LIV Golf and, of course, to the approach he took to his career from the start, establishing a perfect blend that consisted from his arrival in fully enjoying the professional and financial security that the Saudi League provided him, without neglecting his main virtue, which beyond pure technical talent, was and is his capacity for WORK. In capital letters.
-We said that Reed might be able to win tomorrow with a round of 72, at par, to claim victory. But fortunately, there are other ways to see it: perhaps Puig could manage another round of 66, like today, to put pressure on the favourite… It’s a lot to say, agreed, because the Majlis course doesn’t give away birdies and scorecards, quite the opposite. Sooner or later, if nothing unusual happens, we will see the Spaniard sign a 63 (alright: or a 64) on this course. It might happen in 2027. Or maybe in 2028. Or later. But it will happen. Tomorrow, however, a 66 might be enough… Let no one say it’s not easy to see the glass half full.
