Confusion reigned in the media centre at the Earth Course yesterday when the giant electronic screen displaying the scores flashed up a hole-in-one for George Coetzee. Granted, the promising South African, currently 20th in the Race to Dubai, is expected to excel during the next few seasons, but maybe this was beyond even his capabilities. The ace was registered on the first hole – the 454-yard par four. It was quickly removed and replaced with a bogey five. Poor George.
Padraig Harrington's moustache has been the focus of much conjecture this week. The Irishman is sporting handlebar facial hair as part of the "Movember" charity for prostate cancer, and looks alarmingly similar to Eric Bana from the 2000 movie Chopper. Today will see Harrington assume another guise, though. "I might go for a Flash Gordon Ming, with little pointy sides," he said. "It should be a Tom Selleck by the end of the week."
Following his first-round 67 yesterday, world No 4 Lee Westwood opened up about his decision to sever ties with Billy Foster, his long-term caddie and close friend, as the former Race to Dubai champion looks to start afresh next season. "I just had to make a professional decision, really," Westwood said. "I'm nearly 40 now and I suppose time is ticking. It was a tricky phone call and not one I wanted to make, but had to."
The secret to a strong relationship is considered to be a bit of give and take, but when it comes to Rory McIlroy and Caroline Wozniacki, it is clearly the tennis star who wears the trousers. When McIlroy warned her "don't even think about it" as she gatecrashed his press conference, the Dane requested the microphone, asking: "If you win, am I going to get a really nice Christmas present?" A blushing McIlroy replied: "Haven't I got you a lot of nice presents already?"
Graeme McDowell obviously enjoys playing Cupid. The Northern Irishman arranged the blind date that last year led to Darren Clarke's wedding, and he decided to get in on the act himself. "A couple of weeks ago I took my girlfriend to the helipad of the Burj Al Arab and popped the question," he said. "Thankfully she said yes." Can McDowell work his magic on Rory and Caroline?
Miguel Angel Jimenez has a bit of ground to make up if he is going to break his five-day old record as the oldest winner on the European Tour. He starts today on one-under par, but he can still bask in the acclaim over his feats in Hong Kong. He was even compared to Lionel Messi yesterday. "I don't know if it's in the food or what it is over there," Gonzalo Fernandez-Castano said. "He is the Lionel Messi of Hong Kong doing hat-tricks all around the place."
