There has been more controversy surrounding Patrick Reed, as new footage appears to show that he was wrong in claiming that he could spot his ball in a palm tree. 

In a bizarre incident at the 17th hole on Sunday, Reed, using binoculars and assisted by the tournament referee, claimed he could spot his ball in the tree.

This enabled Rory McIlroy's rival to take a penalty drop 300 yards down the fairway, rather than the more costly option of returning 275 yards to the tee - as would have been the case if he could not make a definitive identification.

New footage from NBC Golf though appears to have proved that he couldn't see the ball in the tree, as it actually appeared to hit a different one to the one he claimed it was stuck in.

The 2018 Masters champion, went on to escape the hole with a bogey, prior to finishing 11 under and four back of McIlroy at the end of Sunday.

Reed though was in stunning form on Monday and managed to level the score with McIlroy. 

McIlroy though defeated his rival as the Dubai Desert Classic wrapped up this morning, with the Northern Irishman finishing on -19, one shot clear of the American after a birdie on the 18th. 

His route to the title perhaps would have been less nerve-wracking if Reed had been sent back to the tee on Sunday.

Reed told organisers on Sunday that he could see his ball in the palm tree 30ft in the air as it has his arrowhead marking on it. 

Some social media users had pointed to television footage which made them believe that the ball entered a different tree to the one where he claimed he could see his Titleist ProvV1.

NBC golf analyst Brandel Chamblee said while watching the footage: 'You can see that first tree right there - the one he said it was in was the third one farthest to the left over there - but it disappears in this first one.

'It just disappears right there, so for it to be in that third one it would have to be much higher up in that one over there and it would have to be further to the left to get in that third tree.

'It's hitting tee-side of that tree so it's likely to bounce over to the tee or to the fairway or over into the sand - but we didn't see it bounce.'

Reed, who has previously drawn attention over rules scenarios during his career, said: 'I got lucky that we were able to look through the binoculars and you have to make sure it's your ball and how I mark my golf balls is I always put an arrow on the end of my line.

'You could definitely see and identify the line with the arrow on the end, and the rules official was there to reconfirm and check it to make sure it was mine as well.'

Reed's version was supported by tournament officials. A DP World Tour statement read: 'Two on course referees and several marshals identified that Patrick Reed's ball had become lodged in a specific tree following his tee shot on 17.

'Using binoculars, the chief referee was satisfied that a ball with those markings was lodged in the tree.

'To clarify, the player was not asked to specify the tree but to identify his distinctive ball markings to confirm it was his ball.'

The situation follows the saga in which Reed flicked a tee at McIlroy on the driving range on Tuesday after the world No 1 had ignored his greeting. 

Owing to the desert storm thrown up by such a chain of events, anticipation had grown that they might eventually be paired together in Dubai, but McIlroy's third-round 65 killed off that possibility. 

Despite continuing his wayward striking off the tee – the Northern Irishman missed another eight fairways on Sunday – there was enough quality in his approach play that McIlroy is in a strong position to win his season-opener for the first time in his career.

His score would have been even more comfortable had he not dumped his second stroke into the water guarding the green at the par-five 18th – an identical mistake to the one which cost him a third victory at this tournament last year. 

However, things turned around on Monday as Reed produced a stunning performance to even take the lead mid-way through the final session. 

The pair were neck and neck going into the last hole, though McIlroy sealed the win with a 14-foot put to kick off his 2023 campaign in style.

Reed carded a seven-under-par round of 65 but McIlroy's closing 68 - and final-hole birdie - saw the Northern Irishman to the title.