Patrick Reed kept his cool to complete a comfortable four-shot victory at the Hero Dubai Desert Classic — before revealing he is currently out of contract with LIV Golf and has yet to sign a new deal.
The American showed his class around Emirates Golf Club to lead after 36 and 54 holes, taking a four-shot advantage at 14 under into Sunday's final round.
A conservative front nine saw him card eight pars and a bogey as David Puig halved the deficit thanks to birdies at the eighth and ninth.
Reed finally found his first birdie at the 10th, but playing partner Puig rolled in his third in a row at the same hole to remain a threat.
However, Reed regained his four-shot lead when he birdied the 13th and his Spanish playing partner bogeyed the same hole.
He parred his way home for a 14 under total for the tournament, four ahead of Andy Sullivan as he became the sixth American winner of the Dallah trophy.
Afterwards the American, admitted he had not yet re-signed for the Saudi breakaway series, despite the first event of its new season starting in Riyadh on 4 February.
"We're still finalising the contract. We're not complete on that yet," he said.
"I don't like to talk business and stuff while I'm playing. Starting tonight and tomorrow, we'll get back to talking and things like that."
Asked whether he could have played his last event for LIV, Reed added: "Not that I know of, not right now. At the moment, I plan on teeing it up in Riyadh and I'd be surprised if we're not.
"It's just one of those things with contracts and stuff. There's a lot of language and wording in contracts and, at this point, I don't know where everything stands."
Reed has already considered his options in the event he does not re-sign with LIV.
"Continue to play out here and be in the top 10 and be on the PGA Tour next year (the top 10 in the DP World Tour's Race to Dubai automatically earn a place)," he said.
That is his only pathway back to the PGA Tour as Reed does not qualify under the newly-introduced Returning Members Programme, which was hastily written to allow five-time major winner Brooks Koepka to rejoin after he quit LIV a year early in December.
The only others eligible are Jon Rahm, Bryson DeChambeau and Cam Smith, who have a deadline of 2 February to make the switch.
Sullivan fought back from four bogeys on his front nine for a one-under 71 to sit in solo second at 10 under, with Frenchman Julien Guerrier finishing one shot further back in third.
Puig, like Reed a LIV golfer, was handed a two-shot penalty for grounding his club in the bunker at the last for a share of seventh at seven under.
Rory McIlory and defending champion Tyrrell Hatton finished 12 shots adrift at two under.
PA
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