Rory McIlroy faces awkward reunion with golfer he openly dislikes
Rory McIlroy could be paired up with old rival Patrick Reed at the Dubai Invitational this weekend.
The world no.2 leads the way after Thursday’s opening round at the Dubai Creek Resort in the UAE.
McIlroy is one shot clear on five-under par, with David Puig and Connor Syme his nearest challengers heading into Friday.
Shane Lowry will once again tee off alongside McIlroy for the second round, with the pair scheduled to start at 6:42am GMT.
However, the Masters champion faces the prospect of being partnered with long-time foe Patrick Reed come the weekend.
The American is one of ten players tied for ninth after an opening round 69 left him three shots off the lead.
Lowry and Tommy Fleetwood are also amongst those on two-under par after the opening round.
Reed will go off at 5:30am on Friday with Matt Wallace as he looks to move up the leaderboard.
Pairings for the final two rounds on Saturday and Sunday will be determined by the standings.
If McIlroy and Reed are next to each other at the end of play on Friday, then they will be paired up for the third round the following day.
The same will also apply if they are alongside each other heading into Sunday’s final round.
It would see the duo renew their infamous rivalry as they both chase their first Dubai Invitational triumph.
McIlroy previously finished joint-second with Thriston Lawrence at the inaugural staging of the event in 2024 as Fleetwood won by a single stroke.
This week’s winner is set to take home £350,000 in prize money from the DP World Tour event.
McIlroy and Reed’s rivalry
The animosity between McIlroy and Reed has intensified in recent years following the 2018 Masters champion’s move to LIV Golf.
Reed quit the PGA Tour to make the switch back in the summer of 2022.
However, he and McIlroy can date their rivalry back to the 2016 Ryder Cup at Hazeltine, Minnesota.
The pair were involved in one of the tournament’s most memorable singles matches on the final day.
Both players took the lead during a back-and-forth showdown, with passionate celebrations creating an intense atmosphere on the course.
Reed would ultimately claim a 1-up victory to help Team USA on their way to an 17-11 win on home soil.
Meanwhile, McIlroy’s stance on LIV Golf has seen the pair clash since Reed joined the Saudi-backed league.
The Northern Irishman notably became embroiled in a war of words with some players from the tour in September 2022.
It came after the DP World Tour permitted LIV players to play at the BMW PGA Championship.
Reacting to the decision at the time, McIlroy said: “They shouldn’t be here, but again that’s just my opinion.
“But we are all going to tee it up on the first tee and we are all going to go play 72 holes, which is a novelty for them at this point.”
The outburst was followed by Reed’s lawyer Larry Klayman serving McIlroy with legal papers on Christmas Eve in December of the same year.
Klayman subpoenaed McIlroy to testify in a civil anti-trust lawsuit against the PGA Tour, commissioner Jay Monahan and the DP World Tour.
It came in relation to a ‘players-only’ meeting which had taken place at the BMW Championship in August 2022.
Although Reed was not involved and has never sued McIlroy, the timing of the move angered the five-time major winner.
As a result, McIlroy ignored his rival on the practice range at the Dubai Desert Classic the following month.
This prompted Reed to react by flicking a tee towards McIlroy, who later defended his snub.
When asked about the incident, he explained: “I was subpoenaed by his lawyer on Christmas Eve.
“So of course, trying to have a nice time with my family and someone shows up on your doorstep and delivers that, you’re not going to take that well.
“I’m living in reality, I don’t know where he’s living. If I were in his shoes, I wouldn’t expect a hello or a handshake.”
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