PATRICK REED OPENS TWO-SHOT LEAD HEADING INTO QATAR MASTERS FINAL ROUND
Patrick Reed holds a two-shot lead at the Qatar Masters after a bogey-free 70, with Jacob Skov Olesen leading the chasing pack.
Patrick Reed kept his card clean on moving day, one of only two players to avoid a bogey, and now he leads the Qatar Masters by two shots heading into the final round in windy Doha.
He wasn’t thrilled about three-putting the 18th for par from almost 100 feet, but his two-under 70 gives him a real shot at a second win in three weeks—and a jump to the top of the Race to Dubai.
“I actually hit the ball better today than the last two days—especially compared to yesterday—and somehow shot two shots worse. Golf's weird like that,” Reed said. His round: 16 pars, birdies at the second and tenth, and not a single bogey.
“My game feels good, steady. I just need to keep pushing tomorrow, hopefully get off to a quicker start than today, and see what happens.”
Reed, who used to play on the LIV circuit, sits at 14 under. Denmark’s Jacob Skov Olesen is right behind him. Olesen made the turn at one over but then caught fire on the back nine, coming home in just 31 and shooting 68 to grab second place on his own.
Spain’s Angel Ayora (70) and New Zealand’s Daniel Hillier (71) are three shots back at 11 under, tied for third. Sweden’s Joakim Lagergren, who started the day in second, slipped to a tie for fifth after a 73 and now trails Reed by four.
Reed won the Hero Dubai Desert Classic two weeks ago and just lost in a playoff last week in Bahrain. He knows he left a few out there, especially on the par-fives—he played them in only one under in round three.
“You really have to make the most of the par-fives out here, and I didn’t do that today,” Reed said. “Three-putting the last stings, but getting around here bogey-free in this wind—can’t complain about that.
“Hopefully I keep that going tomorrow, keep hitting it solid, give myself plenty of birdie chances, and maybe make more than just two.”
Pádraig Harrington, now 54, shot 71 to break par for the third straight day. He’s four under, tied for 34th, in his 500th DP World Tour start.
On the other side, Olesen is making just his 38th career start. He birdied three of his last four holes, giving himself a real chance at a first DP World Tour title.
“It was a grind on the front,” Olesen admitted. “Nothing was working; I couldn’t hit a good shot. But I hit a great wedge into ten after a bad drive. Not the spot you want to be with a wedge, but I pulled it off and holed the putt.
“That got me back to level, and I realised it wasn’t playing easy out there. I just needed to get something going.”
Meanwhile, on the HotelPlanner Tour, Gary Hurley is chasing his first top-10 in 17 months at the CIRCA Cape Town Open. He fired a two-under 70 at Royal Cape to sit at eight under, tied for 11th with one round to go. That’s pretty impressive, considering he missed last season with a serious shoulder injury.
Hurley is eight shots behind Trevor Fisher Jnr, who holds the lead at 16 under after a bogey-free 67. Spain’s Santiago Tarrio sits one back after shooting 65, the best of the day.
Galway’s Liam Nolan is tied for 29th at six under after a wild 70: four birdies in his first seven holes, four bogeys in the next eight, and then he finished with two birdies.
Conor Purcell from Portmarnock carded a 74 and sits at three under, tied for 48th.
TY SIMPSON OFFICIALLY ENTERS QB1 CONVERSATION FOR 2026 NFL DRAFT AFTER BAMA RUN
Ty Simpson challenges Heisman winner Fernando Mendoza for QB1 status in the 2026 NFL Draft after a breakout Bama season.
After waiting behind Jalen Milroe, Ty Simpson’s only season as Alabama’s starter has propelled him into serious first-round talk for the 2026 NFL Draft. He’s even being discussed as the top quarterback prospect over Heisman winner Fernando Mendoza, according to ESPN’s Dan Orlovsky.
But not everyone agrees. Former LSU standout Breiden Fehoko tweeted his scepticism: 'Ty Simpson wasn’t even going to start at Bama in 2026, and here y’all go calling him QB1 this draft.' This is how GMs get fired. Watch.
Orlovsky, however, stands by his view that Simpson holds the edge over Mendoza. He pointed out that when comparing their bodies of work, Simpson carried more of the load for his team. The gap, he says, is clear when you consider who had to do more and who won more games during the season: that’s Simpson, no contest.
Mendoza enters the draft after an extraordinary season. He led Indiana to an undefeated national championship and took home the Heisman Trophy. Scouts see him as the most pro-ready passer but have concerns over his pressure-to-sack rate, which hovers around 18.9%, potentially an issue for teams with weak offensive lines.
Meanwhile, Simpson’s draft stock rose sharply during a strong four-game run facing Georgia, Vanderbilt, Missouri, and Tennessee. His upcoming performance at Alabama’s Pro Day could be crucial, especially for teams looking at quarterbacks who bring mobility and playmaking alongside pocket passing.
Simpson’s experience is limited to just 15 college games, thanks to the stacked quarterback depth at Alabama. Still, once he became the starter, he delivered solid numbers: 3,567 passing yards, 28 touchdowns, and only 5 interceptions in the 2025 season.
Former NFL safety Louis Riddick has been vocal about Simpson’s potential. Speaking on ESPN, Riddick said that seeing him throw in person reveals the kind of physical talent Simpson has. He’s confident in Simpson’s mental game but notes the physical attributes will really stand out when seen up close. Riddick expects Simpson to continue improving his draft stock.
Simpson will get another chance to impress scouts at Alabama’s Pro Day on Wednesday, which could be pivotal in shaping his position ahead of the draft.
MASTERS UPDATE: TIGER WOODS CONFIRMS HE WILL ATTEND AUGUSTA NATIONAL "EITHER WAY" FOR 2026
Tiger Woods admits to a "rough road" after a frustrated TGL return, leaving his 2026 Masters status in serious doubt.
Tiger Woods says he’s still trying to get fit for The Masters next month, but he knows the clock’s not exactly on his side.
He made his golf comeback with Jupiter Links GC in Tomorrow’s Golf League, teaming up with Tom Kim and Max Homa. It’s been a while since Woods last played TGL in February 2025, when he tore his Achilles and had disc replacement surgery in his back. So, yeah, it’s been a rough road.
After his return on Tuesday, Woods didn’t sugarcoat things. He gave a pretty honest update about his chances at Augusta this year. You can tell he’s been keeping the door open for the 2026 Masters, but honestly, his appearance for Jupiter Links might’ve shaken up those plans.
Things actually started off looking good. Woods smashed a 279-yard drive on the second hole; it felt like a flash from the old Tiger. But that faded fast. His game unravelled, and by the seventh hole, he missed a three-yard putt, slammed his club into the ground, and his frustration was obvious.
Woods and his teammates just couldn’t keep up, and Jupiter Links ended up losing 9-2 to the Los Angeles Golf Club trio of Justin Rose, Sahith Theegala, and Tommy Fleetwood.
Afterwards, Tiger didn’t hold back: “We got our arse kicked. Three eagles in a row… I missed a short one to give them momentum, and we never got it back.”
Reporters quickly shifted the focus to The Masters. Even after a disappointing night, Woods still wants to play at Augusta National. “I want to play. I love the tournament. I’m going to be there either way with The Loop that's going up there, as well as the champions dinner. We’ll see how it goes. I’ll be practising and playing at home this week and keep trying to make progress.”
Honestly, it’s obvious why Woods wants to tee it up at Augusta. He’s won The Masters five times (1997, 2001, 2002, 2005, and 2019) and made the cut a record 24 times. Looking at how things went in his latest outing, though, it’s hard to picture him adding to those numbers in a few weeks. But if anyone can surprise people, it’s probably Tiger.
