Rory McIlroy fought off a sensational final-round charge from Patrick Reed when he birdied the last from 15 feet to win the Hero Dubai Desert Classic for the third time and throw down the gauntlet to the pretenders to his world number one crown.

The Holywood star went into the final round three shots clear of Callum Shinkwin and Dan Bradbury on 15-under par and four strokes clear of a seven-man group that included Reed.

But after finding himself a shot adrift of Reed, who played his first 15 holes in seven-under, with three holes to go, McIlroy found himself level when his rival bogeyed the 16th, then edged in front with a birdie at the 359-yard 17th.

Reed would close with a birdie four for a 65 to draw level and set the target at 18-under, but 24 hours after finding water at the last and 12 months after another splashdown at the hole handed Viktor Hovland the title, McIlroy almost opened the door.

His drive ran 321 yards through the fairway and stopped on the red line marking the edge of the penalty area, just inches from the water.

With Reed making birdie just ahead, McIlroy opted to lay up 92 yards from the pin and gave himself a 15 footer for birdie and promptly rolled it in for a 68 and a one-shot win on 19-under par his 36th title worldwide.

It’s the first time McIlroy has started his year with a win and it provided an exciting end to a week of controversies that began when McIlroy refused to acknowledge Reed, whose lawyers subpoenaed him on Christmas Eve, when the American approached him on the range to say hello.  

Reed reacted to being ignored by tossing a LIV-branded tee in McIlroy’s direction and after the Co Down accused him of being disingenuous if he was expecting “a hello or a handshake”, the American responded by labelling the world number one “an immature little child”.   

They avoided each other in the draw all week though McIlroy was standing on the tee behind when the American got a controversial drop on the 17th hole on Sunday.

Reed’s drive got stuck in a palm tree and he identified it as his using binoculars though replays later suggested his ball finished in another palm tree slightly further from the green.

Reed was cleared by rules officials to take an unplayable under the tree where he identified his ball rather than return to the tee to play his third.

The 2018 Masters champion later insisted he was “100 per cent” sure it was his ball, as it had markings he always used.

The controversy didn’t go away overnight, but it didn’t appear to affect Reed, who birdied the second and third and holed a bunker shot at the sixth to get to within a shot of McIlroy on 14-under.

The Texan made a clutch 10-footer for par at the ninth, then briefly edged ahead when he eagled the 10th (almost holing his 245-yard approach for albatross) before making birdies at the 11th and 13th to go seven-under for his round.

As Shinkwin and Bradbury faded early on, McIlroy got off to a slow start with eight straight pars before he rolled in a seven-footer at the ninth to turn two shots clear of the American on 16-under.

He then two-putted the par-five 10th to go one ahead and responded to Reed’s birdies at the 11th and 13th with a two-putt birdie of his own at the 13th to draw level.

But it was hard work for McIlroy, who had to get up and down for par from sand at the 14th to remain tied for the lead.

He was in trouble again, short-sided deep in the left rough at the short 15th but ran through the other side of the green and missed a 15-footer to trail Reed again.

But Reed found trouble in the left rough at the 16th and while he hit a 133-yard third to seven feet after being forced to pitch back to the fairway, he missed the putt to leave them tied again on 17-under.

As McIlroy parred the 16th, Reed drove into a low bush at the 17th, overshot the green blasting out but got up and down for par.

McIlroy edged back in front by driving to the fringe of the 17th and two-putting from just over 80 feet for his birdie three.

But while Reed briefly drew level, McIlroy made birdie to given himself the final word in his row with Reed.