Patrick Reed stormed into the final round of the Dubai Desert Classic with a commanding lead, and he's showing that confidence.

When asked in a presser to give an evaluation of such a strong day, Reed answered, “Obviously, at the end, it was definitely solid and a good score at the end. There early in the round, just didn't really settle out.”

Reed managed a four-shot lead after a sizzling 5-under 67 on Saturday to move onto 14-under 202 for the week. The American built a significant lead over the field, with David Puig in second and Viktor Hovland a shot further back.

“Even after the birdies on 2 and 3, 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 needed to and just relying on my putter to work.”

Reed fired seven birdies against two bogeys to seize control heading into Sunday. Viktor Hovland climbed to the third with a flawless 66. Meanwhile, Puig remained in close contention despite the mounting pressure. It may not be a surprise. Reed won with a birdie on the first extra hole at LIV Golf Dallas to win the event.

“On 7, it clicked there when I hit a really good drive on 8. 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 5s,” Reed concluded.

What’s Next For Patrick Reed?

The 35-year-old is in position to claim another tournament title. When asked about the opportunity to win on Sunday, Reed stated, “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.”

He added, “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.”

Winning in Dubai will significantly elevate his world ranking from number 44, and based on his current form, victory looks increasingly close.

Written by

Suryakant Das

Edited by

Siddharth Shirwadkar