The 2020 Ryder Cup takes place, finally, from Friday after it was postponed last year because of the coronavirus pandemic. We look at some of the key talking points heading into Whistling Straits, as Europe seeks to retain the famous trophy on US soil.
Making most of home advantage
Trace back through the past seven Ryder Cups, and six of them have been won by the hosts. That trend can be attributed to a number of factors, but two in particular: the home camp set up the course to favour themselves, while the crowds have got only bigger and therefore more vociferous.
As to the latter, this year’s event, staged in Wisconsin, will welcome even less European fans because of tight Covid-19 travel restrictions — which will only strengthen United States’ chances.
OK, Whistling Straits’ position on Lake Michigan means American supporters will not encroach on Team Europe as they did at Hazeltine in 2016, but the partisan crowd will test greatly the visitors’ mettle. One crumb of comfort, though: that sole away win in the past seven clashes? The Miracle at Medinah, in 2012.
Bryson v Brooks a thrilling aside
One of the admittedly many intriguing subplots heading into Whistling Straits centres around the relationship between Bryon DeChambeau and Brooks Koepka. Or lack thereof.
The compatriots’ rivalry had provided plenty of entertainment the past couple of seasons, playing out in interviews and on social media — even if some claim the enmity is not all it’s made out to be.
However, US captain Steve Stricker was at pains to declare the feud has been “put to bed”, while DeChambeau has spoken this week about amicable dinners and discussions.
Meanwhile, videos abound on social media of the two enjoying a seemingly courteous companionship on the driving range. Contrived? Partnering the two during the first two days would certainly suggest not. Either way, it should make for fascinating viewing.
McIlroy turning the tap
Jon Rahm is world No 1, and Ian Poulter Mr Ryder Cup, but Rory McIlroy should typically exist as Team Europe’s greatest weapon against the US.
However, the four-time major winner has not enjoyed the best season — winning at Wells Fargo aside — stuck fiddling with his swing and registering only 7 top-10s in 21 starts. “Only”, given his supreme talent.
Yet McIlroy has grown to love the Ryder Cup following ill-advised comments before his debut in 2010. In fact, he has played every session possible since Celtic Manor, returning an impressive 11 victories and four halves from 24 matches.
He has also fully embraced his role as a leader within the team. Whistling Straights seems tailor-made for McIlroy’s power off the tee, as does a mouth-watering pairing with rookie Viktor Hovland. But can the former rise again to the occasion?
US rookies v Euro oldies
This US team includes six players who have never previously competed in the red-hot Ryder Cup heat. However, Collin Morikawa is a two-time major winner and current Open champion, Patrick Cantley the 2021 FedEx Cup winner and PGA player of the year, and Xander Schauffele a recent Olympic gold medallist.
They sit third, fourth and fifth, respectively, in the world rankings. Hardly especially green. Granted, the other trio — Harris English, Daniel Berger and Scottie Scheffler — have greater question marks against them.
In contrast, Europe have three newbies in Viktor Hovland, Shane Lowry and Bernd Wiesberger. Handling the pressure matters more this week than any other in golf, and maybe Europe’s veterans — Sergio Garcia (age 41), Paul Casey (44), Ian Poulter (45) and Lee Westwood (48) — will help manage better the strain. Or will the youthful exuberance of the US (average age 29) shine brighter?
Favourable set-up blown off track
As mentioned, perhaps the most telling “home” advantage is setting out the course in favour of your team. Thus, Whistling Straits will play wide and long (at 7,390 yards, it is the lengthiest course in Ryder Cup history).
Definitely, that suits the Americans. Eight of the hosts’ side sit inside the top 50 for driving distance on the PGA Tour this season, compared to only three on Team Europe.
Subsequently, the rough has been kept short, allowing the grip-it-and-rip-it brigade to jut out their chests on most tees. Still, it should be said that Whistling Straits won’t be quite as appealing a home venue as Hazeltine in 2016. With the wind forecast to blow, it should play more into Europe’s hands — Shane Lowry, anyone? And that’s potentially decisive in the underdogs’ chances of retaining the trophy.
How does ToTok work?
The calling app is available to download on Google Play and Apple App Store
To successfully install ToTok, users are asked to enter their phone number and then create a nickname.
The app then gives users the option add their existing phone contacts, allowing them to immediately contact people also using the application by video or voice call or via message.
Users can also invite other contacts to download ToTok to allow them to make contact through the app.
Results:
Men's wheelchair 800m T34: 1. Walid Ktila (TUN) 1.44.79; 2. Mohammed Al Hammadi (UAE) 1.45.88; 3. Isaac Towers (GBR) 1.46.46.
Super 30
Produced: Sajid Nadiadwala and Phantom Productions
Directed: Vikas Bahl
Cast: Hrithik Roshan, Pankaj Tripathi, Aditya Srivastav, Mrinal Thakur
Rating: 3.5 /5
The five pillars of Islam
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Avatar: Fire and Ash
Director: James Cameron
Starring: Sam Worthington, Sigourney Weaver, Zoe Saldana
Rating: 4.5/5
UK’s AI plan
- AI ambassadors such as MIT economist Simon Johnson, Monzo cofounder Tom Blomfield and Google DeepMind’s Raia Hadsell
- £10bn AI growth zone in South Wales to create 5,000 jobs
- £100m of government support for startups building AI hardware products
- £250m to train new AI models
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Sole survivors
- Cecelia Crocker was on board Northwest Airlines Flight 255 in 1987 when it crashed in Detroit, killing 154 people, including her parents and brother. The plane had hit a light pole on take off
- George Lamson Jr, from Minnesota, was on a Galaxy Airlines flight that crashed in Reno in 1985, killing 68 people. His entire seat was launched out of the plane
- Bahia Bakari, then 12, survived when a Yemenia Airways flight crashed near the Comoros in 2009, killing 152. She was found clinging to wreckage after floating in the ocean for 13 hours.
- Jim Polehinke was the co-pilot and sole survivor of a 2006 Comair flight that crashed in Lexington, Kentucky, killing 49.
Mercer, the investment consulting arm of US services company Marsh & McLennan, expects its wealth division to at least double its assets under management (AUM) in the Middle East as wealth in the region continues to grow despite economic headwinds, a company official said.
Mercer Wealth, which globally has $160 billion in AUM, plans to boost its AUM in the region to $2-$3bn in the next 2-3 years from the present $1bn, said Yasir AbuShaban, a Dubai-based principal with Mercer Wealth.
“Within the next two to three years, we are looking at reaching $2 to $3 billion as a conservative estimate and we do see an opportunity to do so,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Mercer does not directly make investments, but allocates clients’ money they have discretion to, to professional asset managers. They also provide advice to clients.
“We have buying power. We can negotiate on their (client’s) behalf with asset managers to provide them lower fees than they otherwise would have to get on their own,” he added.
Mercer Wealth’s clients include sovereign wealth funds, family offices, and insurance companies among others.
From its office in Dubai, Mercer also looks after Africa, India and Turkey, where they also see opportunity for growth.
Wealth creation in Middle East and Africa (MEA) grew 8.5 per cent to $8.1 trillion last year from $7.5tn in 2015, higher than last year’s global average of 6 per cent and the second-highest growth in a region after Asia-Pacific which grew 9.9 per cent, according to consultancy Boston Consulting Group (BCG). In the region, where wealth grew just 1.9 per cent in 2015 compared with 2014, a pickup in oil prices has helped in wealth generation.
BCG is forecasting MEA wealth will rise to $12tn by 2021, growing at an annual average of 8 per cent.
Drivers of wealth generation in the region will be split evenly between new wealth creation and growth of performance of existing assets, according to BCG.
Another general trend in the region is clients’ looking for a comprehensive approach to investing, according to Mr AbuShaban.
“Institutional investors or some of the families are seeing a slowdown in the available capital they have to invest and in that sense they are looking at optimizing the way they manage their portfolios and making sure they are not investing haphazardly and different parts of their investment are working together,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Some clients also have a higher appetite for risk, given the low interest-rate environment that does not provide enough yield for some institutional investors. These clients are keen to invest in illiquid assets, such as private equity and infrastructure.
“What we have seen is a desire for higher returns in what has been a low-return environment specifically in various fixed income or bonds,” he said.
“In this environment, we have seen a de facto increase in the risk that clients are taking in things like illiquid investments, private equity investments, infrastructure and private debt, those kind of investments were higher illiquidity results in incrementally higher returns.”
The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, one of the largest sovereign wealth funds, said in its 2016 report that has gradually increased its exposure in direct private equity and private credit transactions, mainly in Asian markets and especially in China and India. The authority’s private equity department focused on structured equities owing to “their defensive characteristics.”
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
VEZEETA PROFILE
Date started: 2012
Founder: Amir Barsoum
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: HealthTech / MedTech
Size: 300 employees
Funding: $22.6 million (as of September 2018)
Investors: Technology Development Fund, Silicon Badia, Beco Capital, Vostok New Ventures, Endeavour Catalyst, Crescent Enterprises’ CE-Ventures, Saudi Technology Ventures and IFC
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At a glance
- 20,000 new jobs for Emiratis over three years
- Dh300 million set aside to train 18,000 jobseekers in new skills
- Managerial jobs in government restricted to Emiratis
- Emiratis to get priority for 160 types of job in private sector
- Portion of VAT revenues will fund more graduate programmes
- 8,000 Emirati graduates to do 6-12 month replacements in public or private sector on a Dh10,000 monthly wage - 40 per cent of which will be paid by government
