Patrick Reed surges four shots ahead at Hero Dubai Desert Classic

Patrick Reed stormed into four-shot lead heading into the final round of the 2026 Hero Dubai Desert Classic thanks to brilliant 67 on Moving Day.

The American held a narrow overnight lead at nine under, but he was soon in a battle for supremacy with Francesco Molinari on the front nine.

Molinari, who led after 18 holes, opened with three straight birdies to reach double figures before Reed hit back with three birdies and two bogeys on his first seven holes to join him at ten under.

Once Reed finished his front nine with a birdie to get his nose in front, he did not look back as he picked up three further shots and climbed to 14 under at Emirates Golf Club.

Spaniard David Puig surged into solo second following a birdie-birdie finish in a stunning 66 to reach ten under, with 2022 champion Viktor Hovland one shot further back.

"You're always excited showing up on Sunday with a lead," Reed said.

"It's what we live for as players, and as competitors, is to have a chance on Sundays, and play late on Sundays, and battle it out with the guys.

"I know it's not going to be easy, it never is, it doesn't matter how big of a lead you have, but I can't wait for it and looking forward to tomorrow and hopefully go out there, keep doing what I'm doing, plugging along, hitting fairways and making some greens."

Reed, who was flawless in his 66 on Friday, dropped a shot at the opening hole and slipped to eight under alongside Molinari, who birdied the first, and playing partner Andy Sullivan.

He bounced back with birdies at the second and third, but he could not shake off Molinari's fast start.

The 2018 Masters winner bogeyed the sixth to sit one behind the leading Italian, and he was joined by Puig, who had a hat-trick of birdies from the second before further gains at the ninth and tenth.

Reed returned to double figures with a birdie at the seventh and took the outright lead when he birdied the ninth.

His advantage increased to two when he started his back nine with a gain and when Molinari bogeyed the 13th, he led by three.

Molinari sat at nine under with five to play alongside fellow Italian Andrea Pavan, Puig and Hovland, who carded a sparkling 65 to set the clubhouse target.

However, Reed was the first player at 13 under after draining a 13-foot birdie putt and extended his lead to four shots.

Puig rescued a bogey at the 11th after a wayward tee-shot, but he finished in style by tapping in from inside two feet at the final two holes for successive birdies and a total of ten under.

"It was a great day from start to finish," the Spaniard said. "Still a little behind, but it's going really well. Hopefully tomorrow we have a good chance."

Reed calmly birdied the last to carve open a four-shot lead ahead of Sunday's final round.

Puig was his closest rival, while Hovland birdied the second, fifth, tenth, 11th, 13th and the final two holes to power his way into contention at nine under.

Sullivan bounced back from bogeys at the eighth and ninth with three birdies on his back nine to sit alongside Hovland in a share of third.

Molinari and Pavan were one shot further back, while Denmark's Thorbjørn Olesen and Spaniard Jorge Campillo sat at seven under.

Nicolai Højgaard led the group at six under alongside the South African trio of Jayden Schaper, Hennie du Plessis and amateur Christiaan Maas and French pair Julien Guerrier and Martin Couvra.