American Patrick Reed moved up to second place in the world rankings for the "Race to Dubai" golf competitions, benefiting from his victory at the Hero Dubai Desert Classic, which concluded yesterday at the Emirates Golf Club. Reed won the prestigious "Dalla" trophy for the first time in his career, along with his first victory in a Rolex Series tournament in the "Race to Dubai", after a consistent performance over the four rounds he completed with a score of 14 under par. Thanks to this win, the player nicknamed "Captain America" gained 1,335 points, which moved him up 105 places directly to second place in the "Race to Dubai" rankings, with a total of 1,370 points. Reed said at the press conference after his coronation: "I think the most important thing about this week was that I won all the tournaments except this one." He added: "Although the website shows three wins, one was in a major, and two were in World Golf Tour events. So they are all co-sanctioned tournaments, and it has always bothered me that I never won a tournament here." Reed added: "After I was given the opportunity to win in 2023 when I finished second and missed the chance, it was very important for me to perform well here and seize that opportunity; winning here means a lot to me, especially in Dubai, which I love coming to, which makes it even more special." Meanwhile, Englishman Andy Sullivan, who finished second at the Hero Dubai Desert Classic, benefited from earning 889 points to also move up to third place in the "Race to Dubai" rankings with a total of 998 points. South African Jaden Shaper maintained his lead in the "Race to Dubai" rankings after finishing fourth at The Earth Course in Dubai, earning 339 points and increasing his season total to 1,727 points. This tournament is the second in the "International Series", which includes 7 tournaments held in 5 different countries across two continents, with tournaments currently ongoing in Bahrain, Qatar, Kenya, and South Africa. According to the schedule for the new "Race to Dubai" season, at least 42 tournaments will be held in 25 countries around the world, with the final qualifying rounds to be held in the United Arab Emirates. The top 70 players will qualify for the tournament at Yas Links in Abu Dhabi from November 5-8, 2026, and then the top 50 players will advance to the World Tour tournament at Jumeirah Golf Estates from November 12-15, 2026.
