Dustin Johnson can even joke about it now - sort of. The American was riding high heading into the US Masters last year.
Having finally broken through for a first major title at the 2016 US Open, Johnson had gone from strength to strength, winning three straight tournaments and seizing the world No 1 ranking before arriving at Augusta National.
"I was about as confident as I've ever been," Johnson said on Wednesday ahead of the start of the 2018 US Masters.
But he never made it to the first tee last year, after a mis-step on the stairs at his rented house in Augusta left him with a badly bruised back on the eve of the tournament.
____________
Read more:
Tiger Woods makes a roaring return to ultra-competitive field: US Masters talking points
Tiger Woods grouped with Abu Dhabi champion Tommy Fleetwood at US Masters
[ Tiger Woods unfazed by hype as he targets US Masters success ]
____________
This year, Johnson quipped in his deadpan style, his plan for Wednesday was to "take it really easy". But he admitted that having to sit out the first major of 2017 added an extra edge to his anticipation this week.
"Obviously I was playing very well, and it was very disappointing not to be able to play," Johnson said. "This year is a completely different year, and I'm really looking forward to coming into this year - especially missing last year."
Johnson, 33, is still perched atop the world rankings, although Justin Thomas leads a trio of players who could supplant him this week.
He opened 2018 with a victory in the US PGA Tournament of Champions and finished tied for second at Pebble Beach, but he hasn't been the juggernaut of 2017.
Nevertheless, Johnson says his confidence level remains high, a 9 1/2, perhaps, compared to 10 on a scale of 10 last year.
"Starting to swing it a lot better," Johnson said. "Feeling a lot better on the golf course, for sure."
A native of nearby Columbia, South Carolina, Johnson remembers watching the US Masters as a boy. Now, he believes, he has the major championship know-how and enough experience of the Augusta National course to challenge for the green jacket.
"The more you play here, the more comfortable you get around this golf course," said Johnson, who notched top-10 finishes in 2015 and 2016. "You know what tee shots and where to hit it and the flags and kind of how to attack the golf course.
"Then, I think just me as a golfer getting better throughout the whole game, just having more confidence, hitting it better, driving it better, doing everything a little bit better always helps around here."
How to watch Ireland v Pakistan in UAE
When: The one-off Test starts on Friday, May 11
What time: Each day’s play is scheduled to start at 2pm UAE time.
TV: The match will be broadcast on OSN Sports Cricket HD. Subscribers to the channel can also stream the action live on OSN Play.
Company Profile
Company name: Namara
Started: June 2022
Founder: Mohammed Alnamara
Based: Dubai
Sector: Microfinance
Current number of staff: 16
Investment stage: Series A
Investors: Family offices
COMPANY PROFILE
Company name: Revibe
Started: 2022
Founders: Hamza Iraqui and Abdessamad Ben Zakour
Based: UAE
Industry: Refurbished electronics
Funds raised so far: $10m
Investors: Flat6Labs, Resonance and various others
Company profile
Company name: Fasset
Started: 2019
Founders: Mohammad Raafi Hossain, Daniel Ahmed
Based: Dubai
Sector: FinTech
Initial investment: $2.45 million
Current number of staff: 86
Investment stage: Pre-series B
Investors: Investcorp, Liberty City Ventures, Fatima Gobi Ventures, Primal Capital, Wealthwell Ventures, FHS Capital, VN2 Capital, local family offices
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Racecard
5pm: Al Maha Stables – Maiden (PA) Dh80,000 (Turf) 1,400m
5.30pm: Al Anoud Stables – Handicap (PA) Dh80,000 (T) 1,200m
6pm: Wathba Stallions Cup – Handicap (PA) Dh70,000 (T) 1,400m
6.30pm: Arabian Triple Crown Round 2 – Group 3 (PA) Dh 300,000 (T) 2,200m
7pm: Liwa Oasis – Group 2 (PA) Dh300,000 (T) 1,400m
7.30pm: Dames Stables – Handicap (TB) Dh80,000 (T) 1,400m
Another way to earn air miles
In addition to the Emirates and Etihad programmes, there is the Air Miles Middle East card, which offers members the ability to choose any airline, has no black-out dates and no restrictions on seat availability. Air Miles is linked up to HSBC credit cards and can also be earned through retail partners such as Spinneys, Sharaf DG and The Toy Store.
An Emirates Dubai-London round-trip ticket costs 180,000 miles on the Air Miles website. But customers earn these ‘miles’ at a much faster rate than airline miles. Adidas offers two air miles per Dh1 spent. Air Miles has partnerships with websites as well, so booking.com and agoda.com offer three miles per Dh1 spent.
“If you use your HSBC credit card when shopping at our partners, you are able to earn Air Miles twice which will mean you can get that flight reward faster and for less spend,” says Paul Lacey, the managing director for Europe, Middle East and India for Aimia, which owns and operates Air Miles Middle East.
ASIAN RUGBY CHAMPIONSHIP 2024
Results
Hong Kong 52-5 UAE
South Korea 55-5 Malaysia
Malaysia 6-70 Hong Kong
UAE 36-32 South Korea
Fixtures
Friday, June 21, 7.30pm kick-off: UAE v Malaysia
At The Sevens, Dubai (admission is free).
Saturday: Hong Kong v South Korea
Pros and cons of BNPL
Pros
- Easy to use and require less rigorous credit checks than traditional credit options
- Offers the ability to spread the cost of purchases over time, often interest-free
- Convenient and can be integrated directly into the checkout process, useful for online shopping
- Helps facilitate cash flow planning when used wisely
Cons
- The ease of making purchases can lead to overspending and accumulation of debt
- Missing payments can result in hefty fees and, in some cases, high interest rates after an initial interest-free period
- Failure to make payments can impact credit score negatively
- Refunds can be complicated and delayed
Courtesy: Carol Glynn
COMPANY PROFILE
Company: Educatly
Started: 2020
Based: UAE
Founders: Mohmmed El Sonbaty, Joan Manuel and Abdelrahman Ayman
Industry: Education technology
Funding size: $2 million
Investors: Enterprise Ireland, Egypt venture, Plus VC, HBAN, Falak Startups
UAE Team Emirates
Valerio Conti (ITA)
Alessandro Covi (ITA)
Joe Dombrowski (USA)
Davide Formolo (ITA)
Fernando Gaviria (COL)
Sebastian Molano (COL)
Maximiliano Richeze (ARG)
Diego Ulissi (ITAS)