Tension between Patrick Reed and Rory McIlroy has been on the rise since their dispute over Reed's joining of LIV Golf, but now their feud has escalated after an incident on the range at the Hero Dubai Desert Classic. Reports from the range have McIlroy snubbing Reed's attempt to say hello and Reed throwing a tee in the World No. 1's direction in disgust.

Spectators on the range were struck by the incident and reported tension between the two that goes even further back, as during last year's BMW International, Sergio Garcia cursed at fellow DP World Tour players after being banned from the Scottish Open and fined for defecting to LIV Golf. McIlroy has stated that he's uncomfortable with players teeing up in both camps, and post-incident, he professed his awareness, saying: "Patrick came up to say hello and I didn't really want him to...and if roles were reversed and I'd have thrown that tee at him, I'd be expecting a lawsuit." Reed, meanwhile, defends his actions, saying that he went up to say hello and after being ignored, he threw the tee in confusion. With the arbitration case being held in a fortnight to determine the tour's ability to suspend rebels of LIV Golf, the feud between McIlroy and Reed is likely to be a subject of intense discussion moving forward.