Marcel Schneider moves into the top 20 with a -4 on Moving Day. Patrick Reed extends his lead at the top.
Marcel Schneider Delivers Nearly Flawless Performance at DP World Tour
The third round of the Hero Dubai Desert Classic on the DP World Tour featured four remaining German-speaking players. Marcel Schneider stood out with an almost flawless round, climbing the leaderboard early with three birdies on the front nine and two more on the back nine, against only one bogey on the 17th. His strong short game was key to the excellent performance. With a -4 round, Schneider positions himself within the top 20 going into the final day and is in contention for top spots.
Patrick Reed Pulls Ahead Before Final Day
At the top, Patrick Reed made his move. After a mixed front nine, the American surged with three birdies on the back nine and no mistakes, shooting -5 for the day and holding a total of -14, a four-shot lead going into Sunday.
\”It’s always great to start Sunday with a lead. We all play for the chance to win on Sunday. I know it won’t be easy, it never is, no matter how big the lead,\” Reed said.
Patrick Reed opens up a four-shot lead at the top! #HeroDubaiDesertClassic | #RolexSeries pic.twitter.com/zuidOx0NPP
— DP World Tour (@DPWorldTour) January 24, 2026
David Puig is the closest challenger, posting a strong -6 round with seven birdies and one bogey, sitting at -10 after three rounds. Viktor Hovland also impressed with a bogey-free round including seven birdies, tying for third place at -9 along with Andy Sullivan heading into the final round.
Three More German-Speaking Players Secure Top 50 Spots After Strong Back Nine
Behind Schneider, three other German-speaking players are positioned in the top 50 before the final day. Nicolai von Dellingshausen, Freddy Schott, and Joel Girrbach share a score of -1.
Freddy Schott had a steady front nine with eight pars and a bogey but surged on the back nine with four birdies and only one bogey for a -2 round.
Joel Girrbach also scored -2 for the day