Davis Love III, the United States captain, expects this week's Ryder Cup contest at Medinah to be a friendly one - and stresses it is certainly not a war.
Military metaphors have often been used to refer to the action in the biennial contest between the US and Europe in the past, with some of Love's predecessors keen to embrace them.
The 1991 clash at Kiawah Island became known as the 'War by the Shore' while the 'Battle of Brookline' in 1999 led to bad blood between the opposing players.
There were more combat references when the US last won at Valhalla four years ago, a match preceded by an air force jet flyover, but Love this time wants to emphasise the game's underlying sense of fun.
Love said: "The flyovers are cool, just because it's loud. I think we'll probably see one again.
"But that's from football games and other things, that's just kind of cool.
"I never liked the 'War by the Shore' title and you've been hearing me say it over and over again - I've been so impressed with Jose Maria [Olazabal, Europe captain].
"Obviously he exudes class in the game, and we have had an easy relationship so far. It's been fun.
"This is not a war.
"It's a golf match, it's a friendly golf match that's grown a little bit since they started it, and it continues to be a friendly golf match."
Love, 48, has played in six previous Ryder Cups and worked as a vice captain to Corey Pavin at Celtic Manor two years ago.
He enjoys a good relationship with the Europeans and wants that to continue through the competition that begins on Friday.
He said: "Thomas Bjorn [Europe vice captain] can walk over into my room and ask me a question, like he's done today, and bring me my package that he got in his room, and it's friendly.
"There's no problem with it. This is not a war, and it won't be that."
*****
There might be no better news for Europe's Ryder Cup team this week than Martin Kaymer saying he has "woken up again".
Just a month ago the former world number one was the biggest worry for captain Jose Maria Olazabal.
Kaymer had not had a top-10 finish since April and was clinging onto the last automatic spot on the side amid rumours that he might even pull out of the match.
You never would have guessed it from his mood after yesterday's opening practice session in Chicago.
Although the 27-year-old German, playing with debutant Nicolas Colsaerts, lost to Peter Hanson and Francesco Molinari, he said: "All of a sudden on the Friday of Holland (three weeks ago) I made a little click in my swing again.
"I'm very, very happy that it came along just in time for the Ryder Cup - it was a big relief."
*****
Attending a Ryder Cup but not playing has been the catalyst for three members of Europe's team who will seek to defend the trophy this week in Chicago.
For Graeme McDowell it was doing radio commentary at the 2006 Ryder Cup at the K Club which ignited his desire to be a part of the fiercely contested biennial team event.
For Sergio Garcia it was being an assistant to Colin Montgomerie for the victory at Celtic Manor in 2010, after failing to qualify, which kickstarted the revival of his career.
And for Scotland's Paul Lawrie, it was also being in Wales to do TV commentary as McDowell sealed a dramatic one-point win in the first Monday finish in tournament history that turned his life around.
"About Celtic Manor time I wasn't putting the time in that I should have been putting in," Lawrie said after he and Garcia were coincidentally "whipped" by McDowell and Rory McIlroy in the first practice round at Medinah on Tuesday.
"I had let my game and myself kind of go a little bit. I was thinking about winding down a wee bit, playing a bit less. And I think the Ryder Cup was the biggest sort of....I was sitting there talking about guys hitting shots in a tournament that I wanted to play in again."
Wanting to play against, and still be able to beat, his two sons Craig and Michael - who are both good players - was further motivation, but Lawrie added: "But I think commentating there was the biggest factor. You realise how big a tournament this is. You realise how huge it is.
"So you knuckle down and you do the work that's needed to be done. I got a bit of confidence from winning in Malaga at the start of last year and things have kind of gone on.
"I also want to be involved at Gleneagles (for the 2014 contest), so if I want to do that I think I had to get in this team to make it easier to get in the next one. So getting in this one has been pretty big for me."
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Other acts on the Jazz Garden bill
Sharrie Williams
The American singer is hugely respected in blues circles due to her passionate vocals and songwriting. Born and raised in Michigan, Williams began recording and touring as a teenage gospel singer. Her career took off with the blues band The Wiseguys. Such was the acclaim of their live shows that they toured throughout Europe and in Africa. As a solo artist, Williams has also collaborated with the likes of the late Dizzy Gillespie, Van Morrison and Mavis Staples.
Lin Rountree
An accomplished smooth jazz artist who blends his chilled approach with R‘n’B. Trained at the Duke Ellington School of the Arts in Washington, DC, Rountree formed his own band in 2004. He has also recorded with the likes of Kem, Dwele and Conya Doss. He comes to Dubai on the back of his new single Pass The Groove, from his forthcoming 2018 album Stronger Still, which may follow his five previous solo albums in cracking the top 10 of the US jazz charts.
Anita Williams
Dubai-based singer Anita Williams will open the night with a set of covers and swing, jazz and blues standards that made her an in-demand singer across the emirate. The Irish singer has been performing in Dubai since 2008 at venues such as MusicHall and Voda Bar. Her Jazz Garden appearance is career highlight as she will use the event to perform the original song Big Blue Eyes, the single from her debut solo album, due for release soon.
Abaya trends
The utilitarian robe held dear by Arab women is undergoing a change that reveals it as an elegant and graceful garment available in a range of colours and fabrics, while retaining its traditional appeal.
Scoreline
Al Wasl 1 (Caio Canedo 90 1')
Al Ain 2 (Ismail Ahmed 3', Marcus Berg 50')
Red cards: Ismail Ahmed (Al Ain) 77'
First Person
Richard Flanagan
Chatto & Windus
Classification of skills
A worker is categorised as skilled by the MOHRE based on nine levels given in the International Standard Classification of Occupations (ISCO) issued by the International Labour Organisation.
A skilled worker would be someone at a professional level (levels 1 – 5) which includes managers, professionals, technicians and associate professionals, clerical support workers, and service and sales workers.
The worker must also have an attested educational certificate higher than secondary or an equivalent certification, and earn a monthly salary of at least Dh4,000.
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Biography
Her family: She has four sons, aged 29, 27, 25 and 24 and is a grandmother-of-nine
Favourite book: Flashes of Thought by Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid
Favourite drink: Water
Her hobbies: Reading and volunteer work
Favourite music: Classical music
Her motto: I don't wait, I initiate
The biog
Favourite car: Ferrari
Likes the colour: Black
Best movie: Avatar
Academic qualifications: Bachelor’s degree in media production from the Higher Colleges of Technology and diploma in production from the New York Film Academy
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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
Test
Director: S Sashikanth
Cast: Nayanthara, Siddharth, Meera Jasmine, R Madhavan
Star rating: 2/5
Is it worth it? We put cheesecake frap to the test.
The verdict from the nutritionists is damning. But does a cheesecake frappuccino taste good enough to merit the indulgence?
My advice is to only go there if you have unusually sweet tooth. I like my puddings, but this was a bit much even for me. The first hit is a winner, but it's downhill, slowly, from there. Each sip is a little less satisfying than the last, and maybe it was just all that sugar, but it isn't long before the rush is replaced by a creeping remorse. And half of the thing is still left.
The caramel version is far superior to the blueberry, too. If someone put a full caramel cheesecake through a liquidiser and scooped out the contents, it would probably taste something like this. Blueberry, on the other hand, has more of an artificial taste. It's like someone has tried to invent this drink in a lab, and while early results were promising, they're still in the testing phase. It isn't terrible, but something isn't quite right either.
So if you want an experience, go for a small, and opt for the caramel. But if you want a cheesecake, it's probably more satisfying, and not quite as unhealthy, to just order the real thing.
The specs: 2018 Volkswagen Teramont
Price, base / as tested Dh137,000 / Dh189,950
Engine 3.6-litre V6
Gearbox Eight-speed automatic
Power 280hp @ 6,200rpm
Torque 360Nm @ 2,750rpm
Fuel economy, combined 11.7L / 100km
Normal People
Sally Rooney, Faber & Faber
Credits
Produced by: Colour Yellow Productions and Eros Now
Director: Mudassar Aziz
Cast: Sonakshi Sinha, Jimmy Sheirgill, Jassi Gill, Piyush Mishra, Diana Penty, Aparshakti Khurrana
Star rating: 2.5/5
Our legal consultant
Name: Dr Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
White hydrogen: Naturally occurring hydrogen
Chromite: Hard, metallic mineral containing iron oxide and chromium oxide
Ultramafic rocks: Dark-coloured rocks rich in magnesium or iron with very low silica content
Ophiolite: A section of the earth’s crust, which is oceanic in nature that has since been uplifted and exposed on land
Olivine: A commonly occurring magnesium iron silicate mineral that derives its name for its olive-green yellow-green colour
Slow loris biog
From: Lonely Loris is a Sunda slow loris, one of nine species of the animal native to Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand and Singapore
Status: Critically endangered, and listed as vulnerable on the International Union for Conservation of Nature red list due to growing demand in the global exotic pet trade. It is one of the most popular primate species found at Indonesian pet markets
Likes: Sleeping, which they do for up to 18 hours a day. When they are awake, they like to eat fruit, insects, small birds and reptiles and some types of vegetation
Dislikes: Sunlight. Being a nocturnal animal, the slow loris wakes around sunset and is active throughout the night
Superpowers: His dangerous elbows. The slow loris’s doe eyes may make it look cute, but it is also deadly. The only known venomous primate, it hisses and clasps its paws and can produce a venom from its elbow that can cause anaphylactic shock and even death in humans
Our family matters legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
The biog
Name: Capt Shadia Khasif
Position: Head of the Criminal Registration Department at Hatta police
Family: Five sons and three daughters
The first female investigator in Hatta.
Role Model: Father
She believes that there is a solution to every problem
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