Ahmed bin Saeed presents Patrick Reed Hero Dubai Desert Classic trophy after thrilling victory

Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, President of the Dubai Civil Aviation Authority, Chairman of Dubai Airports, and Chairman and Chief Executive of Emirates Airline and Group, presented the prestigious Dallah Trophy to Patrick Reed in front of a delighted crowd at Emirates Golf Club as the American claimed the fourth DP World Tour title of his career with a composed four-shot victory at the 2026 Hero Dubai Desert Classic.

The 35-year-old Reed stayed patient on a testing front nine as he carded eight pars and one dropped shot to reach the turn with his overnight advantage cut in half to two shots.

David Puig completed a hat-trick of birdies from the eighth to briefly sit one back before Reed signed for his first birdie at the tenth.

But when Reed birdied the 13th and Puig dropped a shot on the same hole, the World Number 44 regained his four-shot lead with five holes to play and he never looked back.

Reed parred his way home for a 14 under par total to become the sixth American winner of the Dallah trophy with his first Rolex Series event success at Emirates Golf Club.

"It hasn't fully set it in yet. Today was a lot harder than expected, I knew it was going to be," Reed said. "I just couldn't get anything going on the front nine, I think I learned a lot about the round today. Instead of keeping my foot on the gas early, I tried to protect that four-shot lead and then David goes and birdied eight and nine, and shut it down to two.

"Kess (Kessler Karain, caddie) was like 'it's a dogfight, now let's get going and shoot under par on the back nine and no-one will beat you'. We were able to get that birdie there on 13 to get to one under and he (Puig) gave me a gift there by bogeying; from there on, it was hit fairways, hit greens and make no mistakes."

The first movement came at the par-three fourth when Puig salvaged a bogey from a plugged lie. Reed safely found the green with his tee-shot, but the American three-putted as he missed the chance to extend his four-shot lead.

Reed could not improve on 13 under as he continued par streak, but Puig made his move as the final group reached the turn. He picked up his first birdie of the day at the eighth and when he dialled in his approach to six feet for birdie at the ninth, he was two behind at 11 under.

Reed held his nerve to find the par-five tenth green in two, but he had to watch Puig card his third straight birdie at the same hole. His lead was cut to one, but only briefly as the American found the cup with a short birdie putt to return to 14 under.

Both men failed to find the green at the par-three 11th, with Reed missing his par putt from five feet. Puig had four feet to trim the leader's advantage to one, only to miss his par effort.

The momentum swung back in the American's favour with a birdie at the 13th and when his Spanish playing partner, who produced a remarkable par save at the 12th, bogeyed the same hole, Reed was four ahead at 14 under.

Puig's chance of victory proved even slimmer when he bogeyed the 15th as the leader opened up a five-shot advantage with three to play.

Reed had looks to increase his lead as he finished with five straight pars for his first DP World Tour crown since the 2020 WGC-Mexico Championship.

Andy Sullivan fought back from a shaky front nine as he finished birdie-birdie in his one-under 71 to sit in solo second at ten under.

Frenchman Julien Guerrier carded an eagle, two birdies and a bogey for his best finish at a Rolex Series event in third at nine under.

Denmark's Nicolai Højgaard, Francesco Molinari and Race to Dubai Rankings delivered by DP World leader Jayden Schaper were one shot further back, while Portugal's Ricardo Gouveia, Englishman Marcus Armitage and Puig, who was given a two-shot penalty for grounding a club in the bunker at the last, finished at seven under.

Reed hoisted the famous Dallah Trophy aloft after being presented it by Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed. The presentation party included Mohammed Al Shaibani, Managing Director of the Investment Corporation of Dubai and Director General of HH the Dubai Ruler's Court; Saeed Mohammed Hareb, Secretary General of the Dubai Sports Council; General Abdullah Al Hashmi, President of the Emirates Golf Federation; Mustafa Al Hashimi, CEO of Wasl; and Dr Pawan Munjal, Executive Chairman of Hero MotoCorp.

Also in attendance were Abdulnasser Bin Kalban, CEO of Emirates Global Aluminium, Mohammed Abdul Hamied Seddiqi, Senior Director of Seddiqi Holding, Shayne Nelson, CEO of Emirates NBD, Abdulla bin Damithan, CEO and Managing Director of DP World GCC, Tom Phillips, Director of Middle East at the DP World Tour and Chris May, CEO of Dubai Golf.

South African amateur Christiaan Maas was presented with the Emirates Golf Federation's Leading Amateur award.

Before the Hero Dubai Desert Classic officially teed off on Thursday, the tournament festivities had already begun the week prior with the fourth edition of the Junior Dubai Desert Classic (JDDC), which for the second year awarded World Amateur Golf Ranking points.

Christian Hansen of Denmark got his hands on the trophy after a dramatic play-off victory on the Majlis Course.

Running concurrently to the JDDC was the second edition of the Creators Dubai Desert Classic, which expanded to a weekend-long competition bringing together 16 of social media's biggest sporting content creators. Canadian Mac Boucher claimed the gross title at seven-over-par, while England’s Temps secured the net competition. Both champions earned a coveted spot in the Hero Dubai Desert Classic Pro-Am alongside DP World Tour professionals.

Once the tournament got underway, the excitement extended beyond the fairways, with plenty of activities happening off the course as well. Tournament Town was the vibrant heart of family fun, where guests of all ages were immersed in a lively atmosphere from morning to night. The expanded Kids Zone – double the size for 2026 – featured bungee trampolines, soft play areas, VR corners, and the Big Red Slide, while roaming performers including bubble artists, stilt walkers and caricature artists kept fans entertained throughout.

Saturday saw a special Wicked performance from Broadway Entertainment Group enchant Tournament Town, followed by a meet-and-greet with Elphaba and Glinda where families were guided onstage for photos.

The 37th edition of the Hero Dubai Desert Classic also marked another year of the event's GEO Certified status – the first golf event in the Middle East to hold the certification, highlighting the tournament's continued dedication to environmental responsibility and sustainable golf events.

The tournament's commitment to sustainability was further demonstrated by the Green Incubator Challenge, launched in partnership with Deloitte, which invited innovators worldwide to submit sustainable solutions for events. UK-based Notpla, pioneers of seaweed-based packaging that naturally disappears, were named winners and will implement their solution at the 2027 tournament.

A Highly Commended award was presented to 12-year-old Dalia Sebti for GreenFair+AI, a platform helping event organisers track sustainability efforts while giving fans eco-challenges.

The Mental Fitness & Recovery Zone returned for its third year, offering players access to wellness services including massage, breathwork and mindfulness sessions. The initiative continues the tournament's focus on supporting player wellbeing both on and off the course.

Simon Corkill, Executive Tournament Director of the Hero Dubai Desert Classic, said: "Congratulations to Patrick on a dominant performance and a well-deserved victory at the 37th Hero Dubai Desert Classic. He played outstanding golf all week and thoroughly earned his place on the Dallah Trophy.

"This year we welcomed one of the strongest fields in the tournament's history, and the quality of golf matched the occasion. Beyond the fairways, we're proud to have delivered an experience that brought together world-class sport, family entertainment, sustainability innovation, and player wellbeing.

"A huge thank you to our title sponsor Hero MotoCorp, founding partner Emirates Global Aluminium, and all our partners and fans for making this week a true celebration of golf and community. We look forward to welcoming everyone back in 2027."

Ticket information for next year's edition will be announced later this year. Follow the Hero Dubai Desert Classic social channels for all the latest information or visit www.dubaidesertclassic.com.