Patrick Reed goes one shot off the lead at Dubai Desert Classic following spat with Rory McIlroy
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Patrick Reed downplays his feud with Rory McIlroy by teeing off reporters at the Dubai Desert Classic… before insisting the tee-gate was ‘nothing really’ but turned into ‘murder’
Say what you want about Patrick Reed, and Rory McIlroy certainly does, but at least he’s kept his sense of humor in the eye of the storm in a tee cup.
Two days after throwing his Four Aces LIV peg at McIlroy, and 24 hours after describing the world number 1 as an “immature little boy” in these pages, the American delivered a hilarious moment of self-parody after a mid-iron to the green on 15th.
Noticing a couple of reporters, he grabbed the very brand of T-shirt he was causing such a ruckus with, before throwing it at our feet. She left with a wide smile and the world keeps turning.
Patrick Reed mocked his Rory McIlroy while teeing off reporters
If his behavior and scores during the first round at the Hero Dubai Desert Classic are anything to go by, that fight with McIlroy has done little to throw the rebel LIV off his game.
At four under par in 16 holes, before bad light caused play to be abandoned, he’s just a shot off the lead here. McIlroy, for those interested in comparison, was a further two back after 15 before his loop was interrupted before the restart on Friday morning.
The development of their respective fortunes has inevitably become the narrative of this DP World Tour event ever since McIlroy snubbed Reed on the driving range, prompting a retaliatory tee shot that lapped the planet in its aftermath.
At four under par on 16 holes, Reed was one shot off the lead before poor light called off play.
Meanwhile, Rory McIlroy is two strokes behind after 15 holes before his loop was interrupted.
On the morning of the first round on Thursday, the lines of communication were apparently on their way to reopening. That came after a chance encounter between the pair outside their hotel, unbeknownst to Reed that the game had been suspended for six hours due to a different type of storm.
‘I’m standing in front of the hotel with my caddy and my coach, and we’re like, ‘Where’s the car?’ The next thing Rory gets out of a courtesy car and says, “Hey, just to let you know we’re not playing because the game has been called off.
Although I’m not sure if Rory was acknowledging me, my coach, my caddy, or all three, I’ll take it as a small victory.
‘Honestly, what happened this week was nothing, but then it turned into a big tee-gate with murder on both sides.
“You really have to learn to manage the days where there can be a lot of drama and the days that are normal.”
Reed handled the late start with five birdies and a lone bogey on the 10th. McIlroy’s day was a little less smooth: His first shot went into a puddle, but despite birdieing the hole, he dropped shots on two of the next five to briefly drop to one. upon.
The footage shows Patrick Reed (second right) getting close to Rory McIlroy (left) in Dubai.
After McIlroy ignores the American, Reed turns to throw one of his jerseys at the world number 1.
With Jon Rahm playing this week on the PGA Tour and chasing his third win in three starts, and thus close to usurping McIlroy for the top of the world rankings, the Northern Irishman bounced back with three birdies. Thomas Pieters of Belgium leads at five under par with three to play.
The dispute between McIlroy and Reed is just the latest high point in LIV’s grand feud, with Sir Nick Faldo chipping in on Thursday by saying those who join the breakaway series should never again be able to play or captain in the Ryder Cup. He told Sky Sports: ‘They shouldn’t be there because shots have been shot and you have to move on.
They already finished. It’s a rival tour. If you work for one company for 20 years and then go to a rival company, I can promise you that your picture will no longer be on the wall.’