McIlroy and Reed on potential collision course in rain-soaked Dubai
Thomas Pieters of Belgium plays his second shot on the 13th hole on day one of the Hero Dubai Desert Classic on the Majlis Course at The Emirates Golf Club. (Photo by David Cannon/Getty Images)
RORY MCILROY and Patrick Reed were face to face at dawn yesterday, but their real duel could take place in the course this weekend after both made bright starts to the weather-delayed Hero Dubai Desert Classic.
Twenty-four hours after exchanging barbs over their frosty "tee-gate" meeting on the range earlier this week, fate thrust the combative duo together outside the hotel.
Reed was waiting for a courtesy car to take him to the course for his early morning tee time when McIlroy arrived back from the flooded course and announced the Texan could go back to bed ahead of what turned out to be a six-hour weather delay.
By day's end, just 12 players in the 132-man field managed to finish, with Reed four under par through 16 holes and just a shot behind Thomas Pieters (15 holes) with McIlroy two under with three to go but facing just four feet for birdie when he resumes.
Reed, who labelled McIlroy an "immature little child" for refusing to acknowledge him on the range, was playful with a group of reporters during his round, reportedly flicking a Four Aces tee at their feet in a repeat of gesture to McIlroy.
He later regaled the scribes with his tale of his early morning meeting with the world number one, who was two over after eight holes before playing the next seven in three-under.
"I'm standing out in front of the hotel with my caddy and my coach, and we're saying 'where's the car?" explained Reed in quotes reported by Irishgolfer.ie.
"It's now about 10 minutes late and the next thing you know, Rory gets out of his courtesy car, as he's also staying at the same hotel, and he says: 'Hey. Just to let you know, we're not playing as they've suspended the start of play.' He's also saying: 'We're off the golf course, buddy. We're off the golf course'.
"So, I say, 'Okay, thanks for that', and head back to my room and go back to bed. Though I'm not sure if Rory was acknowledging me, my coach, my caddie or all three of us but whatever, I'll take it as a small victory."
Reed is tied for second with Tommy Fleetwood and Abi Dhabi winner Victor Perez and English trio Daniel Gavins, Matthew Jordan and Oliver Wilson, who shot 68s.
McIlroy is just two shots further back but looking to convert a four-foot birdie putt at his 16th hole, the seventh, after a day of ups and downs.
He found just four greens on his opening nine and followed an opening birdie at the 10th with bogeys at the 12th and 15th, having avoided another dropped shot after finding water in two at the par-five 13th courtesy of a 14-footer for par.
But he got up and down from sand for birdie at the 18th and brushed in a nine-footer at the second before chipping close at the par-five third to go two-under. He had to make a 10-footer for par at the sixth before the hooter sounded as he marked a short birdie putt at the seventh.
His Holywood clubman Tom McKibbin raced into the joint lead with four birdies in a row from the 18th.
But the young rookie (20) bogeyed the fourth, fifth and sixth and ran up a triple bogey seven at the eighth to card a two-over 74 as veteran Pádraig Harrington slumped to eight-over through 13 holes.
After starting with a brace of three-putt bogeys, Harrington double-bogeyed the par-five 13th, scrambled a par despite finding water at the 18th but went on to bogey the first and follow a birdie at the second with a double bogey at the short fourth, where he again found water.
As an afternoon starter, Shane Lowry did not travel to the course and he could play 36 holes on Friday as officials try to make up lost time.
In amateur golf, Ireland's male amateurs face hosts and defending champions Spain in a group showdown today in the Octagonal Matches at Costa Ballena in Cadiz.
Ireland beat France 5.5 - 3.5 and will face England or the Netherlands for the title tomorrow if they beat Spain.
Meanwhile, Barcelona-based Marina Joyce Moreno leads the Irish challenge in the Portuguese International Ladies Amateur at Montado Golf Resort after a second-round 75 left her tied 36th on nine-over, 11 strokes behind Sweden's Meja Örtengren.
Clandeboye’s Rebekah Gardner was 47th after a 78 with Hermitage’s Kate Lanigan 75th after a 76 and Lahinch’s Aideen Walsh 86th after an 86.
