'Hopefully there's more to come' - Patrick Reed sets sights on Race to Dubai title

The former Masters champion became the first American to win the Commercial Bank Qatar Masters as he recovered from losing a two-shot overnight lead in the event’s 29th edition to be two behind at the turn in the closing circuit at Doha Golf Club.

Underlining why he’s been one of the top players in the world for the past decade, Reed came home in three-under-par for a closing 70 and a 16-under-par aggregate, winning by two shots from Calum Hill after the Scot birdied four of the last holes in his 67.

Reed’s fifth DP World Tour triumph came hot on the heels of his maiden Rolex Series success in the Hero Dubai Desert Classic a fortnight ago, having also finished joint-second along with Hill in the Bapco Energies Bahrain Championship in between his title triumphs.

The 35-year-old is now in pole position in the Race to Dubai, which McIlroy has won for four years in a row and is now bidding to match Colin Montgomerie’s record of eight overall victories this season.

Even at this early stage of the campaign, Reed has virtually secured one of the 2027 PGA Tour cards up for grabs on the DP World Tour, which is a timely tonic as he waits to make his return to the US circuit later this year after opting to end his spell with LIV Golf.

“This little run I’ve had, two wins and a second, it’s awesome,” said the Texan-born player. “It’s special to get two wins early on in the season, and hopefully there’s a lot more to come. It’s always been a dream of mine to be an American who comes over here and have an opportunity to win the Race to Dubai.”

In contrast to his second-place finish in Bahrain, where he needed a par at the last to win but finished with a three-putt bogey then hit a tee shot of bounds then a shank as well in a play-off, a similar result for Hill on this occasion was more rewarding.

‘Golf feels good at the minute’

He’d been two over par after five holes in the opening round before gradually clawing his way up the leaderboard and almost posting a total that might have troubled Reed.

“Golf feels good at the minute,” said the Crook of Devon-based player. “It was nice to have a really good week last week, I put myself in a really good position, didn’t manage to cross the line with the trophy. But I feel like I did a lot of things well and, if you put me in that position again, I feel like I could convert from there.

“Today it was a different story. It was a big chase, you’re trying to get as much on the field as you can and then hopefully Patrick didn’t go too far away."

Maintaining his strong start to the year, Grant Forrest finished joint-15th, just ahead of 2022 winner Ewen Ferguson while rookie Cameron Adam also claimed a top-40 spot.