Tiger Woods is back, but how well can he compete?
After the hype and the hullabaloo of the past week at Augusta National, finally came the confirmation. Woods, age 46 and not even 14 months since a terrifying car crash threatened to take his right leg, will be playing in the Masters – provided Wednesday’s final nine holes of practice go well.
The 15-time major champion announced at Tuesday’s pre-tournament press conference that he was set to compete, marking his return to competitive golf for the first time since the final round of the 2020 Masters, held in November that year. As if the golf world was not whipped into enough of a frenzy following Woods’ arrival in Augusta last week.
Now, though, attention turns to what sort of performance we can expect from a man with a penchant for the phenomenal. True to form, Woods says he is gunning for Green Jacket No 6 this week and, while that seems somewhat fanciful, he can never really be written off.
Of course, he knows the track better than most, and arguably no one in the history of the game has displayed as much drive and determination. Yet four rounds of competitive golf across Augusta National’s rolling hills will clearly test his leg, and stamina.
Can Rory McIlroy, at eighth time of asking, complete the major set?
When McIlroy landed the Open in 2014, the career grand slam seemed a cert. The Northern Irishman had won three of golf’s four majors, meaning he required only the Masters to become the sixth male in history to have completed the set (the others being Gene Sarazen, Ben Hogan, Gary Player, Jack Nicklaus and Woods).
From the outset, the Masters always felt his surest path to major glory: McIlroy’s game is undoubtedly suited to Augusta, as was evidenced as early as 2011, when he held a four-shot lead heading into the final round but collapsed to finish tied-15th.
However, since claiming the Claret Jug almost eight years ago, McIlroy has had seven attempts to take the final piece of the major jigsaw. In that time, he has finished fourth and tied-5th twice. Yet, last year, McIlroy missed the cut for only the second time at the tournament. Last week, he suffered the same fate at the Valero Texas Open after choosing to skip the WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play.
Clearly, he is still searching for answers coming into Augusta. The former world No 1 wasted golden opportunities to win in Dubai earlier this year, and late last year, so questions will remain should he get into contention this week. And his first-round record at the majors since 2015 - 34-over - portrays where the problem lies.
What will the self-professed below-par Bryson DeChambeau offer?
In a Masters brim-full with juicy storylines, DeChambeau represents one of the most captivating – of course. The marmite American is never too far from the fray, with his 2022 thus far pockmarked by injury and a continued mistrust of the media. On Monday, DeChambeau said he was enjoying a slightly more lowkey presence at Augusta – Woods has, predictably, dominated – but he did cause a stir when claiming he had ignored the advice of his doctor and taken a “huge risk” to play.
Gauging that he was only “around 80 per cent” fit, DeChambeau was sidelined for six weeks with hip and wrist injuries sustained in Saudi Arabia before returning at the recent WGC Match Play and last week's Valero Texas Open. In the former, he won half a point, while in the latter he missed the cut.
The Masters, meanwhile, has not been too kind recently: in 2020, DeChambeau failed to live up to his own billing after describing Augusta as a par-67 for himself – he finished tied-34th – while last year he came home 15 shots off winner Hideki Matsuyama. In fact, the 2020 US Open champion’s best Masters performance arrived on debut, with the T21 in 2016. However he plays, DeChambeau will for sure share some of the spotlight.
How will new world No 1 Scottie Scheffler wear the crown?
Without doubt, Scheffler is the hottest player in men’s golf right now. The American has won on three of his past five starts – a remarkable streak considering the first broke his PGA Tour duck - with last week’s victory at the WGC Match Play lifting him to world No 1 for the first time.
At 25, and having really only come to the fore the past two years, Scheffler has limited experience at Augusta; that said, he finished a more than respectable tied-19th on debut in 2020 and then a spot better off upon his return 12 months ago. Following that T18, Scheffler went T8, T7 and T8 in the season’s other three majors and, when factoring in his 4&3 singles success against then world No 1 Jon Rahm at the Ryder Cup in October, he clearly enjoys the marquee events.
However, this week represents fresh territory: new to him, Scheffler arrives at a tournament as the game’s lead light. How he handles that added attention, at the Masters of all places, will be one to keep an eye on, especially since many before him have struggled with their place at the rankings summit.
Even in absentia, has Phil Mickelson cast a shadow on Augusta?
For the first time in almost three decades, Mickelson will not be teeing it up at the Masters. The three-time champion, who last year became the oldest major winner in history by prevailing at the US PGA Championship aged 50, is currently taking a break from the professional game following controversial comments regarding the PGA Tour and the proposed Saudi Arabia-backed breakaway circuit.
Since, rumour has swirled amid a number of blue-chip sponsors distancing themselves from Mickelson: has he in fact been banned by the PGA Tour (the circuit does not, disappointingly, publicise disciplinary measures) or is it really a self-imposed hiatus? There is speculation, too, that the American was encouraged by Masters officials not to compete this week for fear it would provide too much of a distraction from the season’s first major.
Which makes chairman Fred Ridley’s annual press conference on Wednesday all the more intriguing. Either way, Mickelson’s absence - the first time he has missed the Masters in 28 years - has cast a shadow upon the tournament although, as so often has been the case through his Hall of Fame career, he is still playing second fiddle to Woods this week.
Teachers' pay - what you need to know
Pay varies significantly depending on the school, its rating and the curriculum. Here's a rough guide as of January 2021:
- top end schools tend to pay Dh16,000-17,000 a month - plus a monthly housing allowance of up to Dh6,000. These tend to be British curriculum schools rated 'outstanding' or 'very good', followed by American schools
- average salary across curriculums and skill levels is about Dh10,000, recruiters say
- it is becoming more common for schools to provide accommodation, sometimes in an apartment block with other teachers, rather than hand teachers a cash housing allowance
- some strong performing schools have cut back on salaries since the pandemic began, sometimes offering Dh16,000 including the housing allowance, which reflects the slump in rental costs, and sheer demand for jobs
- maths and science teachers are most in demand and some schools will pay up to Dh3,000 more than other teachers in recognition of their technical skills
- at the other end of the market, teachers in some Indian schools, where fees are lower and competition among applicants is intense, can be paid as low as Dh3,000 per month
- in Indian schools, it has also become common for teachers to share residential accommodation, living in a block with colleagues
Abu Dhabi World Pro 2019 remaining schedule:
Wednesday April 24: Abu Dhabi World Professional Jiu-Jitsu Championship, 11am-6pm
Thursday April 25: Abu Dhabi World Professional Jiu-Jitsu Championship, 11am-5pm
Friday April 26: Finals, 3-6pm
Saturday April 27: Awards ceremony, 4pm and 8pm
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Avatar: Fire and Ash
Director: James Cameron
Starring: Sam Worthington, Sigourney Weaver, Zoe Saldana
Rating: 4.5/5
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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
MATCH INFO
Inter Milan v Juventus
Saturday, 10.45pm (UAE)
Watch the match on BeIN Sports
Mina Cup winners
Under 12 – Minerva Academy
Under 14 – Unam Pumas
Under 16 – Fursan Hispania
Under 18 – Madenat
ESSENTIALS
The flights
Emirates flies direct from Dubai to Rio de Janeiro from Dh7,000 return including taxes. Avianca fliles from Rio to Cusco via Lima from $399 (Dhxx) return including taxes.
The trip
From US$1,830 per deluxe cabin, twin share, for the one-night Spirit of the Water itinerary and US$4,630 per deluxe cabin for the Peruvian Highlands itinerary, inclusive of meals, and beverages. Surcharges apply for some excursions.
Korean Film Festival 2019 line-up
Innocent Witness, June 26 at 7pm
On Your Wedding Day, June 27 at 7pm
The Great Battle, June 27 at 9pm
The Witch: Part 1. The Subversion, June 28 at 4pm
Romang, June 28 at 6pm
Mal Mo E: The Secret Mission, June 28 at 8pm
Underdog, June 29 at 2pm
Nearby Sky, June 29 at 4pm
A Resistance, June 29 at 6pm
From Conquest to Deportation
Jeronim Perovic, Hurst
BUNDESLIGA FIXTURES
Friday (all kick-offs UAE time)
Hertha Berlin v Union Berlin (10.30pm)
Saturday
Freiburg v Werder Bremen (5.30pm)
Paderborn v Hoffenheim (5.30pm)
Wolfsburg v Borussia Dortmund (5.30pm)
Borussia Monchengladbach v Bayer Leverkusen (5.30pm)
Bayern Munich v Eintracht Frankfurt (5.30pm)
Sunday
Schalke v Augsburg (3.30pm)
Mainz v RB Leipzig (5.30pm)
Cologne v Fortuna Dusseldorf (8pm)
More on Turkey's Syria offence
GAC GS8 Specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 248hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 400Nm at 1,750-4,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 9.1L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh149,900
Plan to boost public schools
A major shake-up of government-run schools was rolled out across the country in 2017. Known as the Emirati School Model, it placed more emphasis on maths and science while also adding practical skills to the curriculum.
It was accompanied by the promise of a Dh5 billion investment, over six years, to pay for state-of-the-art infrastructure improvements.
Aspects of the school model will be extended to international private schools, the education minister has previously suggested.
Recent developments have also included the introduction of moral education - which public and private schools both must teach - along with reform of the exams system and tougher teacher licensing requirements.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Founders: Abdulmajeed Alsukhan, Turki Bin Zarah and Abdulmohsen Albabtain.
Based: Riyadh
Offices: UAE, Vietnam and Germany
Founded: September, 2020
Number of employees: 70
Sector: FinTech, online payment solutions
Funding to date: $116m in two funding rounds
Investors: Checkout.com, Impact46, Vision Ventures, Wealth Well, Seedra, Khwarizmi, Hala Ventures, Nama Ventures and family offices
Who has been sanctioned?
Daniella Weiss and Nachala
Described as 'the grandmother of the settler movement', she has encouraged the expansion of settlements for decades. The 79 year old leads radical settler movement Nachala, whose aim is for Israel to annex Gaza and the occupied West Bank, where it helps settlers built outposts.
Harel Libi & Libi Construction and Infrastructure
Libi has been involved in threatening and perpetuating acts of aggression and violence against Palestinians. His firm has provided logistical and financial support for the establishment of illegal outposts.
Zohar Sabah
Runs a settler outpost named Zohar’s Farm and has previously faced charges of violence against Palestinians. He was indicted by Israel’s State Attorney’s Office in September for allegedly participating in a violent attack against Palestinians and activists in the West Bank village of Muarrajat.
Coco’s Farm and Neria’s Farm
These are illegal outposts in the West Bank, which are at the vanguard of the settler movement. According to the UK, they are associated with people who have been involved in enabling, inciting, promoting or providing support for activities that amount to “serious abuse”.
A timeline of the Historical Dictionary of the Arabic Language
- 2018: Formal work begins
- November 2021: First 17 volumes launched
- November 2022: Additional 19 volumes released
- October 2023: Another 31 volumes released
- November 2024: All 127 volumes completed
The National's picks
4.35pm: Tilal Al Khalediah
5.10pm: Continous
5.45pm: Raging Torrent
6.20pm: West Acre
7pm: Flood Zone
7.40pm: Straight No Chaser
8.15pm: Romantic Warrior
8.50pm: Calandogan
9.30pm: Forever Young
SPECS
Engine: 4-litre V8 twin-turbo
Power: 630hp
Torque: 850Nm
Transmission: 8-speed Tiptronic automatic
Price: From Dh599,000
On sale: Now
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Votes
Total votes: 1.8 million
Ashraf Ghani: 923,592 votes
Abdullah Abdullah: 720,841 votes
What is tokenisation?
Tokenisation refers to the issuance of a blockchain token, which represents a virtually tradable real, tangible asset. A tokenised asset is easily transferable, offers good liquidity, returns and is easily traded on the secondary markets.
MATCH INFO
What: 2006 World Cup quarter-final
When: July 1
Where: Gelsenkirchen Stadium, Gelsenkirchen, Germany
Result:
England 0 Portugal 0
(Portugal win 3-1 on penalties)
'The Lost Daughter'
Director: Maggie Gyllenhaal
Starring: Olivia Colman, Jessie Buckley, Dakota Johnson
Rating: 4/5
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The specs: 2018 Nissan Patrol Nismo
Price: base / as tested: Dh382,000
Engine: 5.6-litre V8
Gearbox: Seven-speed automatic
Power: 428hp @ 5,800rpm
Torque: 560Nm @ 3,600rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 12.7L / 100km
'Top Gun: Maverick'
Rating: 4/5
Directed by: Joseph Kosinski
Starring: Tom Cruise, Val Kilmer, Jennifer Connelly, Jon Hamm, Miles Teller, Glen Powell, Ed Harris
