Rory McIlroy strikes a blow for the good guys with win over Patrick Reed in Dubai

Rory McIlroy’s victory at the Dubai Desert Classic on Monday was much more than just a third win at the tournament for him, and a first Rolex Series triumph for a man who has every golfing accolade going except one. More of that later.

For Monday’s win, clinched by birdieing the 17th and 18th holes at Emirates Golf Club – the latter a slick, downhill 15-footer to seal it – edged out Patrick Reed, the poster boy for the rebel LIV Golf Series that continues to drive a wedge through professional men’s golf.

Sparks would have flown had McIlroy only parred 18, for it would have forced a play-off with Reed, the American who had moments earlier birdied the last to complete a superb 65 and set the clubhouse target.

McIlroy and Reed had begun the week embroiled in a war of words after Reed threw a tee towards McIlroy after being snubbed by him on the practice range.

McIlroy said he had not seen the tee but had not been impressed at being subpoenaed on Christmas Eve by the lawyer who is representing Reed in a defamation lawsuit against several media members and organisations, although McIlroy’s subpoena relates to a separate suit filed by Larry Klayman.

“Mentally it was very tough today,” said McIlroy. “I felt like I could have let my emotions get in the way. I expended a lot of mental energy today trying to focus on myself and focus on shooting a score and trying to reach a number.

“I sort of set myself a target of 20-under at the start of the day. That obviously would have been good enough; 19 was enough in the end. I thought I did really well mentally today.

“Obviously I felt them closing in, and on the back nine when Patrick drew level with me, I really needed to dig deep. I thought I had blown my chance with the bogey on 15.

"But thankfully, he bogeyed 16, and then I played a great last couple of holes, great tee shot on 17, good two-putt and got up-and-down at the last.

"I didn't have my best tough today. I didn't have my best stuff all week.

"But I managed my game well and being able to put it in good spots and get up-and-down when I needed to.

"So overall, it's been a pretty draining week as the first week back out. But obviously ecstatic to get the win.

"It means a lot. It's actually funny, (caddie) Harry said to me, 'finally we get a gold bib'. Obviously I haven't won one of these big ones before.”

While he struck a blow for the apparent ‘good guys’ on tour as Reed watched on from the scorer’s hut, hoping for a play-off, the American does have one thing McIlroy covets more than anything, a Masters green jacket.

With the year’s first men’s major still two and a half months away, the race to reach Augusta in the best shape has started in a sprint with Spaniard Jon Rahm winning back-to-back in America already this month before McIlroy responded in Dubai in his first start of the year, to strengthen his position at the top of golf’s world rankings.

"There's been a ton of positives this week but also been some things that I need to learn from and I need to try to improve on,” McIlroy, who has won four times in the last eight months, said ominously.

"This is probably sweeter than it should be or needs to be but I feel like I've still got some stuff to work on. It's a great start to the year and a really good foundation to work from.

“I feel like I showed a lot of mental strength out there today, something to really build on for the rest of the year."

That year will also include the Ryder Cup in late September in Rome, when McIlroy and Rahm will team up to try and wrest the cup back from the Americans.

A dark horse for a place on the team would be Wakefield’s Dan Bradbury, who continued the fearless approach that has characterised his rookie season on the DP World Tour.

A winner of the season-opening Joburg Open in November in just his third start as a professional, he made his fifth cut in a row in Dubai and even played alongside McIlroy the last two rounds after a 63 in the delayed second round.

"It was pretty cool, a very unique experience,” said 23-year-old Bradbury.

"Got a few shouts of my name but they were mainly for Rory but to be expected. It was great having a lot of people out there.

“Well, you hear so many Rorys and then you just hear a random ‘Dan’ in the middle of it, you can't help but smile. But it's nice to know that there are people out there wishing me well.”

He shot a 68 in round three but fell down the leaderboard into a tie for 28th alongside Howley Hall’s Marcus Armitage after a final-round 76.

Belgian Thomas Pieters and England's Ian Poulter were at 13 under, one ahead of Swedish pair Marcus Kinhult and Henrik Stenson.