Rory McIlroy Tops Patrick Reed in Dubai: 'This Is Probably Sweeter Than It Should Be'

Rory McIlroy did not hide his emotions after securing a one-stroke victory over Patrick Reed in the Dubai Desert Classic.

"I'm going to enjoy this," McIlroy told reporters on Monday. "This is probably sweeter than it should be or needs to be."

The 33-year-old birdied each of the last two holes, including a long putt on No. 18 to get the DP World Tour win:

The big story, of course, was the head-to-head battle against Reed on the final day.

The two have been involved in a beef that involved Reed throwing a tee at McIlroy on Wednesday and the two trading jabs during the week. McIlroy said he was served a subpoena from Reed's lawyer on Christmas Eve and indicated he has no interest in mending bridges, while Reed called McIlroy "an immature little child."

"Mentally, today, it was probably one of the toughest rounds I've ever had to play because it would have been really easy to let your emotions get in the way," McIlroy said after the final round.

The four-time major champion stayed focused and earned his third career win at this event.