Martin Kaymer continued to deny Graeme McDowell’s hopes yesterday.
Martin Kaymer continued to deny Graeme McDowell’s hopes yesterday.
Martin Kaymer continued to deny Graeme McDowell’s hopes yesterday.
Martin Kaymer continued to deny Graeme McDowell’s hopes yesterday.

Dubai World Championship: thanks for the memories


  • English
  • Arabic

It was great that you could join me yesterday at the Dubai World Championship. I trust you enjoyed yourself?

Strolling around the picturesque Earth Course is always more pleasurable when you have company - and what company we had, huh?

The top two players in Europe walking alongside us for a few hours, separated only by a piece of red rope. Fantastic.

Do you remember when they walked into the tee-box at the first and we all clapped, a mixture of nerves and excitement filling the moist air?

Even for a Thursday, it felt special. I guess that's what happens when it all comes down to the last tournament of the season and the two contenders are paired together on the first day of play.

You thought Graeme McDowell looked a little nervous, but he didn't show it on those first few holes, playing to par and doing so with his usual swagger and smile.

After the round - when you wanted to sample the entertainment, but I had to get back to the media centre - Martin Kaymer told the assembled press corps that this week is the most important of his career. He certainly didn't play like he was feeling the pressure, did he?

I have slept on the question you posed to me last night, too, and I think, were you to ask me again now, I would have to say the decisive moment of the German's round was his eagle from the fairway on the third.

I remember we were stood staring into the sky trying to find the ball when the gallery at the green started clapping.

He'd only gone and filled the cup from 192 yards, hadn't he? It seemed to inspire him as much as it surprised us - despite the bogey immediately afterwards.

It must have been hard for McDowell to have to play alongside his immediate opponent in the race for the Order of Merit.

When Kaymer drove into the treacherous woodchip on the seventh, McDowell must have been buoyed. But then of course, as you know, he had to watch as his playing partner recovered to card a par.

And it was the same on the eighth, when Kaymer's drive found sand.

I'm sure you recall, but it had shot low down the middle of the fairway and everyone clapped, but Kaymer did not look happy.

As the cheers began to fade, we watched his reaction, remember? He knew it had skewed and he was proved correct as it rolled into that deep bunker on the left. Yet, once more, that crafty Kaymer made amends with his red hot putter.

It's interesting that we both noticed Kaymer, having reached five-under by the time he birdied the 11th, seemed to ease off slightly as McDowell fell to two-over on the 12th. The 25-year-old must have been quietly disappointed to only play the final seven holes to par, especially when he had so many chances to nick birdies and with McDowell managing to break even by the 18th, there is still a sliver of hope for the Northern Irishman, isn't there?

That said Kaymer knows just as well as we do that all he must do is finish above McDowell to secure the Race to Dubai title. And it wasn't only us who noticed the two players didn't speak much during their round, either - although you may be glad to hear there is no bad blood between them.

They only spoke "two or three sentences" in four hours of golf, but Kaymer told us later that they were both just focusing on their games. That's understandable.

With neither of them conversing much, it's a shame we didn't bump into Neal Graham, the director of golf at Earth.

He could have relayed a story or two, I'm sure. He is in charge of the pro-am and the entertainment and everything else that goes on and he told me last week the DWC tends to attract a different crowd because of the social aspect on offer.

As you pointedly observed, it was certainly a different crowd to what we are used to at the Desert Classic and the Abu Dhabi Golf Championship. Turbans and tie-dye T-shirts, women snoozing in hammocks and guys in football strips. It was an eclectic bunch.

Still, I don't think I could have wished for better company: two of the most talented golfers on Tour and you, my inner monologue.

The%20specs
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EEngine%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E2.9-litre%20twin-turbo%20V6%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETransmission%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E8-speed%20auto%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPower%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E536hp%20(including%20138hp%20e-motor)%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETorque%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E750Nm%20(including%20400Nm%20e-motor)%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPrice%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EFrom%20Dh1%2C380%2C000%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EOn%20sale%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3Enow%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
McIlroy's struggles in 2016/17

European Tour: 6 events, 16 rounds, 5 cuts, 0 wins, 3 top-10s, 4 top-25s, 72,5567 points, ranked 16th

PGA Tour: 8 events, 26 rounds, 6 cuts, 0 wins, 4 top-10s, 5 top-25s, 526 points, ranked 71st

The five new places of worship

Church of South Indian Parish

St Andrew's Church Mussaffah branch

St Andrew's Church Al Ain branch

St John's Baptist Church, Ruwais

Church of the Virgin Mary and St Paul the Apostle, Ruwais

 

Five famous companies founded by teens

There are numerous success stories of teen businesses that were created in college dorm rooms and other modest circumstances. Below are some of the most recognisable names in the industry:

  1. Facebook: Mark Zuckerberg and his friends started Facebook when he was a 19-year-old Harvard undergraduate. 
  2. Dell: When Michael Dell was an undergraduate student at Texas University in 1984, he started upgrading computers for profit. He starting working full-time on his business when he was 19. Eventually, his company became the Dell Computer Corporation and then Dell Inc. 
  3. Subway: Fred DeLuca opened the first Subway restaurant when he was 17. In 1965, Mr DeLuca needed extra money for college, so he decided to open his own business. Peter Buck, a family friend, lent him $1,000 and together, they opened Pete’s Super Submarines. A few years later, the company was rebranded and called Subway. 
  4. Mashable: In 2005, Pete Cashmore created Mashable in Scotland when he was a teenager. The site was then a technology blog. Over the next few decades, Mr Cashmore has turned Mashable into a global media company.
  5. Oculus VR: Palmer Luckey founded Oculus VR in June 2012, when he was 19. In August that year, Oculus launched its Kickstarter campaign and raised more than $1 million in three days. Facebook bought Oculus for $2 billion two years later.

 

 

 

EMERGENCY PHONE NUMBERS

Estijaba – 8001717 –  number to call to request coronavirus testing

Ministry of Health and Prevention – 80011111

Dubai Health Authority – 800342 – The number to book a free video or voice consultation with a doctor or connect to a local health centre

Emirates airline – 600555555

Etihad Airways – 600555666

Ambulance – 998

Knowledge and Human Development Authority – 8005432 ext. 4 for Covid-19 queries

Avatar%3A%20The%20Way%20of%20Water
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDirector%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EJames%20Cameron%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EStars%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ESam%20Worthington%2C%20Zoe%20Saldana%2C%20Sigourney%20Weaver%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E3.5%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Electric scooters: some rules to remember
  • Riders must be 14-years-old or over
  • Wear a protective helmet
  • Park the electric scooter in designated parking lots (if any)
  • Do not leave electric scooter in locations that obstruct traffic or pedestrians
  • Solo riders only, no passengers allowed
  • Do not drive outside designated lanes
Company profile: buybackbazaar.com

Name: buybackbazaar.com

Started: January 2018

Founder(s): Pishu Ganglani and Ricky Husaini

Based: Dubai

Sector: FinTech, micro finance

Initial investment: $1 million

COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Kumulus Water
 
Started: 2021
 
Founders: Iheb Triki and Mohamed Ali Abid
 
Based: Tunisia 
 
Sector: Water technology 
 
Number of staff: 22 
 
Investment raised: $4 million