For the past 15 years, no one has done more to put bums on seats at the DP World Tour Championship than Rory McIlroy. But Thursday’s opening day of the 2023 tournament was the first time he had put a ball on someone’s lap there.
Of all the 50 players at Jumeirah Golf Estates this week, the only one Lois Miberon Obajulu would be 100 per cent sure of picking out of a line up would be McIlroy.
She is not the most avid golf fan, but was brought along to the championship by her sister, Yemi Keri, who had travelled from Nigeria especially for two reasons. Firstly, to pay a visit to her sister. And, secondly, to see McIlroy in the flesh.
The siblings thought they had a decent chance of getting close to the Northern Irishman when they settled down on the grass beside the 13th green. They ended up far closer than they ever anticipated.
The world No 2 leaked his tee shot right. Yemi saw it coming, and rolled out the way, only for the ball to settle in the lap of her sister.
“We had been waiting on the tee to see them, then his shot landed on her, and I’m like, ‘Wow!’,” Yemi said.
“You could not be any more up close and personal. He is one of my favourite players and that is the reason we are here: just for him.”
Lois froze, just as her sister instructed her to. All, including McIlroy, waited for a referee to come and make a ruling – and free her from being the centre of attention.
McIlroy initially pretended to set up to hit the shot from her lap. The gallery crowded round, filming the moment on their smartphones. And, finally, she was told she could pass the ball to McIlroy then was free to go.
“This is my first experience of golf so I was a little bit shocked and nervous about what happened,” said Lois, who has lived in Dubai for 10 years, and works as a customer services representative for a geo-logistics company.
“I didn’t know what to do. I only realised the ball was there when it was right in front of my face.
"My sister said I had to let it stay in my lap, and when the golfer comes he will pick it up from me. Even then I was still panicked.
“It was my first experience of this, I was a little shaken, thinking, ‘Oh my God'. And there were lots of cameras on my face.
“Rory asked me only one simple question. He said, ‘I hope you are not supposed to be at work today?’, and I’m not. I’ve got the day off.”
The fun did not stop at 13 for McIlroy. The Northern Irishman had one of his most eventful trips around the Earth Course, reflecting after that it was “the sort of round you play after six weeks off”.
He was grateful for a big slice of fortune at 18. Playing his second shot from the bark clippings on the right of the fairway, he fired an iron shot into the creek which snakes down the middle of the last hole. It bounced out, landed on the small footbridge, and spun back to settle on the grass.
It left him with 170 yards to the hole. He curved his approach to the front portion of the green, and two putted for a par that meant he finished on 1-under par.
“It was typical of my career, I think – very lucky,” McIlroy joked. “I got fortunate on those first couple of shots and did well to end up making a five out of it.
“Honestly, I am just happy to get in under par because it was quite scrappy on the back nine.”
Jon Rahm, the defending champion, did not have quite such luck at the last. His second went in the water and stayed there.
The Spaniard ended up with a bogey six, to complete a level par round of 72. It was the first time in the 17 rounds he has played the Earth Course that the three-time champion has failed to break par.
At least the duo have three rounds to make up the arrears on the leaders. After Round 1, there was a three-way tie at the top between Julien Guerrier, Matthieu Pavon and Nicolai Hojgaard, who each carded 5-under-par rounds of 67.
The specs
Price, base / as tested Dh960,000
Engine 3.9L twin-turbo V8
Transmission Seven-speed dual-clutch automatic
Power 661hp @8,000rpm
Torque 760Nm @ 3,000rpm
Fuel economy, combined 11.4L / 100k
AI traffic lights to ease congestion at seven points to Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Street
The seven points are:
Shakhbout bin Sultan Street
Dhafeer Street
Hadbat Al Ghubainah Street (outbound)
Salama bint Butti Street
Al Dhafra Street
Rabdan Street
Umm Yifina Street exit (inbound)
RESULTS
Cagliari 5-2 Fiorentina
Udinese 0-0 SPAL
Sampdoria 0-0 Atalanta
Lazio 4-2 Lecce
Parma 2-0 Roma
Juventus 1-0 AC Milan
Zidane's managerial achievements
La Liga: 2016/17
Spanish Super Cup: 2017
Uefa Champions League: 2015/16, 2016/17, 2017/18
Uefa Super Cup: 2016, 2017
Fifa Club World Cup: 2016, 2017
A cryptocurrency primer for beginners
Cryptocurrency Investing for Dummies – by Kiana Danial
There are several primers for investing in cryptocurrencies available online, including e-books written by people whose credentials fall apart on the second page of your preferred search engine.
Ms Danial is a finance coach and former currency analyst who writes for Nasdaq. Her broad-strokes primer (2019) breaks down investing in cryptocurrency into baby steps, while explaining the terms and technologies involved.
Although cryptocurrencies are a fast evolving world, this book offers a good insight into the game as well as providing some basic tips, strategies and warning signs.
Begin your cryptocurrency journey here.
Available at Magrudy’s , Dh104
Our legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants
Profile of MoneyFellows
Founder: Ahmed Wadi
Launched: 2016
Employees: 76
Financing stage: Series A ($4 million)
Investors: Partech, Sawari Ventures, 500 Startups, Dubai Angel Investors, Phoenician Fund
The President's Cake
Director: Hasan Hadi
Starring: Baneen Ahmad Nayyef, Waheed Thabet Khreibat, Sajad Mohamad Qasem
Rating: 4/5
As You Were
Liam Gallagher
(Warner Bros)
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What is an FTO Designation?
FTO designations impose immigration restrictions on members of the organisation simply by virtue of their membership and triggers a criminal prohibition on knowingly providing material support or resources to the designated organisation as well as asset freezes.
It is a crime for a person in the United States or subject to the jurisdiction of the United States to knowingly provide “material support or resources” to or receive military-type training from or on behalf of a designated FTO.
Representatives and members of a designated FTO, if they are aliens, are inadmissible to and, in certain circumstances removable from, the United States.
Except as authorised by the Secretary of the Treasury, any US financial institution that becomes aware that it has possession of or control over funds in which an FTO or its agent has an interest must retain possession of or control over the funds and report the funds to the Treasury Department.
Source: US Department of State
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Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
Specs
Engine: Dual-motor all-wheel-drive electric
Range: Up to 610km
Power: 905hp
Torque: 985Nm
Price: From Dh439,000
Available: Now
Who's who in Yemen conflict
Houthis: Iran-backed rebels who occupy Sanaa and run unrecognised government
Yemeni government: Exiled government in Aden led by eight-member Presidential Leadership Council
Southern Transitional Council: Faction in Yemeni government that seeks autonomy for the south
Habrish 'rebels': Tribal-backed forces feuding with STC over control of oil in government territory
What is Diwali?
The Hindu festival is at once a celebration of the autumn harvest and the triumph of good over evil, as outlined in the Ramayana.
According to the Sanskrit epic, penned by the sage Valmiki, Diwali marks the time that the exiled king Rama – a mortal with superhuman powers – returned home to the city of Ayodhya with his wife Sita and brother Lakshman, after vanquishing the 10-headed demon Ravana and conquering his kingdom of Lanka. The people of Ayodhya are believed to have lit thousands of earthen lamps to illuminate the city and to guide the royal family home.
In its current iteration, Diwali is celebrated with a puja to welcome the goodness of prosperity Lakshmi (an incarnation of Sita) into the home, which is decorated with diyas (oil lamps) or fairy lights and rangoli designs with coloured powder. Fireworks light up the sky in some parts of the word, and sweetmeats are made (or bought) by most households. It is customary to get new clothes stitched, and visit friends and family to exchange gifts and greetings.
Who was Alfred Nobel?
The Nobel Prize was created by wealthy Swedish chemist and entrepreneur Alfred Nobel.
- In his will he dictated that the bulk of his estate should be used to fund "prizes to those who, during the preceding year, have conferred the greatest benefit to humankind".
- Nobel is best known as the inventor of dynamite, but also wrote poetry and drama and could speak Russian, French, English and German by the age of 17. The five original prize categories reflect the interests closest to his heart.
- Nobel died in 1896 but it took until 1901, following a legal battle over his will, before the first prizes were awarded.
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Five expert hiking tips
Always check the weather forecast before setting off
Make sure you have plenty of water
Set off early to avoid sudden weather changes in the afternoon
Wear appropriate clothing and footwear
Take your litter home with you
The Bio
Favourite vegetable: “I really like the taste of the beetroot, the potatoes and the eggplant we are producing.”
Holiday destination: “I like Paris very much, it’s a city very close to my heart.”
Book: “Das Kapital, by Karl Marx. I am not a communist, but there are a lot of lessons for the capitalist system, if you let it get out of control, and humanity.”
Musician: “I like very much Fairuz, the Lebanese singer, and the other is Umm Kulthum. Fairuz is for listening to in the morning, Umm Kulthum for the night.”
More on animal trafficking
Jetour T1 specs
Engine: 2-litre turbocharged
Power: 254hp
Torque: 390Nm
Price: From Dh126,000
Available: Now
Quick facts on cancer
- Cancer is the second-leading cause of death worldwide, after cardiovascular diseases
- About one in five men and one in six women will develop cancer in their lifetime
- By 2040, global cancer cases are on track to reach 30 million
- 70 per cent of cancer deaths occur in low and middle-income countries
- This rate is expected to increase to 75 per cent by 2030
- At least one third of common cancers are preventable
- Genetic mutations play a role in 5 per cent to 10 per cent of cancers
- Up to 3.7 million lives could be saved annually by implementing the right health
strategies
- The total annual economic cost of cancer is $1.16 trillion
Why your domicile status is important
Your UK residence status is assessed using the statutory residence test. While your residence status – ie where you live - is assessed every year, your domicile status is assessed over your lifetime.
Your domicile of origin generally comes from your parents and if your parents were not married, then it is decided by your father. Your domicile is generally the country your father considered his permanent home when you were born.
UK residents who have their permanent home ("domicile") outside the UK may not have to pay UK tax on foreign income. For example, they do not pay tax on foreign income or gains if they are less than £2,000 in the tax year and do not transfer that gain to a UK bank account.
A UK-domiciled person, however, is liable for UK tax on their worldwide income and gains when they are resident in the UK.
