Rory McIlroy has had a good look around the Earth Course during the first half of his four-day victory lap.
Far more so than he has ever done before at a DP World Tour Championship. At 1-under par at the halfway stage, there are just 12 players worse off than the Northern Irishman.
All of which has done little to sour his mood, in truth. McIlroy has been as chipper as you might expect of someone who arrived here this week with a fifth order of merit title already safely banked.
He has been shooting the breeze with his Ryder Cup-winning pals. Sachin Tendulkar, the Indian cricket great, too. And the holidays are coming.
Even though he is demob happy, he would like to stage a run of some sort over the closing two days of the tour campaign.
He will start Saturday 10 shots back from leader Nicolai Hojgaard, and he knows it will take something special to make a mark on the leaderboard, having been “stuck in neutral all day” on Friday.
“I hit eight out of nine greens on the front nine and I played nicely but I didn't putt as well as I did yesterday,” McIlroy said after his level-par 72 in Round 2.
“There is a low one out there and obviously I'm going to need a low one to get myself back in the tournament.”
Jon Rahm, the defending champion, led the way in that regard. Having been uncharacteristically out of sorts on Thursday at a course he has more or less owned in recent years, he was back into the old routine second time around.
Making a rare start from the 10th after the programme was rescheduled because of the early morning storm in Dubai, Rahm fired a 66.
That included going out in just 31 shots on his opening nine holes, and an eagle at the last which was two feet away from being an albatross.
“I took advantage of the easier conditions today, and did what I needed to early on,” said Rahm, who is five shots behind Hojgaard on 6-under.
“Being 5-under through nine holes with that eagle on 18 is great and I just kind of kept it going. Too bad, from 10, 11, my 12th hole on, when things cooled off a little bit.”
Rahm finished on a low, taking three putts from just over 20ft, but he was sanguine about what had happened.
“Perspective is a big thing and I told [caddie Adam Hayes], if you look at the scorecard the way it's intended to be read, starting on 1, it was a great finish," he said. "I'm just going to remind myself of that.”
DP World Tour Championship Day 2 - in pictures
Ten tax points to be aware of in 2026
1. Domestic VAT refund amendments: request your refund within five years
If a business does not apply for the refund on time, they lose their credit.
2. E-invoicing in the UAE
Businesses should continue preparing for the implementation of e-invoicing in the UAE, with 2026 a preparation and transition period ahead of phased mandatory adoption.
3. More tax audits
Tax authorities are increasingly using data already available across multiple filings to identify audit risks.
4. More beneficial VAT and excise tax penalty regime
Tax disputes are expected to become more frequent and more structured, with clearer administrative objection and appeal processes. The UAE has adopted a new penalty regime for VAT and excise disputes, which now mirrors the penalty regime for corporate tax.
5. Greater emphasis on statutory audit
There is a greater need for the accuracy of financial statements. The International Financial Reporting Standards standards need to be strictly adhered to and, as a result, the quality of the audits will need to increase.
6. Further transfer pricing enforcement
Transfer pricing enforcement, which refers to the practice of establishing prices for internal transactions between related entities, is expected to broaden in scope. The UAE will shortly open the possibility to negotiate advance pricing agreements, or essentially rulings for transfer pricing purposes.
7. Limited time periods for audits
Recent amendments also introduce a default five-year limitation period for tax audits and assessments, subject to specific statutory exceptions. While the standard audit and assessment period is five years, this may be extended to up to 15 years in cases involving fraud or tax evasion.
8. Pillar 2 implementation
Many multinational groups will begin to feel the practical effect of the Domestic Minimum Top-Up Tax (DMTT), the UAE's implementation of the OECD’s global minimum tax under Pillar 2. While the rules apply for financial years starting on or after January 1, 2025, it is 2026 that marks the transition to an operational phase.
9. Reduced compliance obligations for imported goods and services
Businesses that apply the reverse-charge mechanism for VAT purposes in the UAE may benefit from reduced compliance obligations.
10. Substance and CbC reporting focus
Tax authorities are expected to continue strengthening the enforcement of economic substance and Country-by-Country (CbC) reporting frameworks. In the UAE, these regimes are increasingly being used as risk-assessment tools, providing tax authorities with a comprehensive view of multinational groups’ global footprints and enabling them to assess whether profits are aligned with real economic activity.
Contributed by Thomas Vanhee and Hend Rashwan, Aurifer
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%20Ramez%20Gab%20Min%20El%20Akher
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CONFIRMED%20LINE-UP
%3Cp%3EElena%20Rybakina%20(Kazakhstan)%3Cbr%3EOns%20Jabeur%20(Tunisia)%3Cbr%3EMaria%20Sakkari%20(Greece)%3Cbr%3EBarbora%20Krej%C4%8D%C3%ADkov%C3%A1%20(Czech%20Republic)%3Cbr%3EBeatriz%20Haddad%20Maia%20(Brazil)%3Cbr%3EJe%C4%BCena%20Ostapenko%20(Latvia)%3Cbr%3ELiudmila%20Samsonova%3Cbr%3EDaria%20Kasatkina%3Cbr%3EVeronika%20Kudermetova%3Cbr%3ECaroline%20Garcia%20(France)%3Cbr%3EMagda%20Linette%20(Poland)%3Cbr%3ESorana%20C%C3%AErstea%20(Romania)%3Cbr%3EAnastasia%20Potapova%3Cbr%3EAnhelina%20Kalinina%20(Ukraine)%3Cbr%3EJasmine%20Paolini%20(Italy)%3Cbr%3EEmma%20Navarro%20(USA)%3Cbr%3ELesia%20Tsurenko%20(Ukraine)%3Cbr%3EEmma%20Raducanu%20(Great%20Britain)%20%E2%80%93%20wildcard%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Marathon results
Men:
1. Titus Ekiru(KEN) 2:06:13
2. Alphonce Simbu(TAN) 2:07:50
3. Reuben Kipyego(KEN) 2:08:25
4. Abel Kirui(KEN) 2:08:46
5. Felix Kemutai(KEN) 2:10:48
Women:
1. Judith Korir(KEN) 2:22:30
2. Eunice Chumba(BHR) 2:26:01
3. Immaculate Chemutai(UGA) 2:28:30
4. Abebech Bekele(ETH) 2:29:43
5. Aleksandra Morozova(RUS) 2:33:01
More coverage from the Future Forum
Squid Game season two
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Stars: Lee Jung-jae, Wi Ha-joon and Lee Byung-hun
Rating: 4.5/5
