ABU DHABI // He called it "the worst lay-up in the history of lay-ups" yet Graeme McDowell could do nothing but smile as he watched, with bemusement, his penultimate shot on the 18th ricochet off the grandstand to roll within six feet of the hole.
The Northern Irishman, in sinking the resultant putt, finished his final round of the Abu Dhabi HSBC Golf Championship on 11-under par, placing him joint-third on the leaderboard alongside Tiger Woods and Thomas Bjorn, but behind compatriot Rory McIlroy and Robert Rock of England, the eventual winner.
It was a remarkable end to what proved a fascinating and flawless back nine. Having hit bogeys on the third and fifth holes to render his birdie on the second a distant memory, the 2010 US Open champion reached the turn at one-over. A hole-in-one on the 12th – the third ace of the tournament – kick-started his afternoon and was followed immediately with a chip-in from the fringe for a birdie. He picked up two further shots on the last two holes to finish his round four-under-par 68.
“Any time you come back in 31 shots on a Sunday, semi in the mix, is always a good day’s work,” the 32 year old said. “It was certainly an eventful last seven holes with a hole-in-one and a nice ricochet off the grandstand at the last.
“I’ve been playing golf a long time and a couple of things have never happened to me before this week; I’ve never broken my driver in the course of play like I did on Thursday and I’ve never saw a ball coming off the grandstand to six feet like that.”
McDowell's ace on the 12th emulated the feats of Sergio Garcia and Jose Manuel Lara, who both eagled the par-three on Thursday, and the 2010 European Tour Golfer of the Year said Abu Dhabi's tournament organisers will need to change something for next year.
“It was the third ace there of the week, so obviously they are going to have to do something about that hole; it’s obviously a little too straightforward,” McDowell said.
“A front right pin and I cut a little seven-iron there and it pitched right in the front fringe and just trickled up and disappeared. It’s my ninth hole-in-one in my golfing life and they are all pretty sweet.”
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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
Heather, the Totality
Matthew Weiner,
Canongate
'The worst thing you can eat'
Trans fat is typically found in fried and baked goods, but you may be consuming more than you think.
Powdered coffee creamer, microwave popcorn and virtually anything processed with a crust is likely to contain it, as this guide from Mayo Clinic outlines:
Baked goods - Most cakes, cookies, pie crusts and crackers contain shortening, which is usually made from partially hydrogenated vegetable oil. Ready-made frosting is another source of trans fat.
Snacks - Potato, corn and tortilla chips often contain trans fat. And while popcorn can be a healthy snack, many types of packaged or microwave popcorn use trans fat to help cook or flavour the popcorn.
Fried food - Foods that require deep frying — french fries, doughnuts and fried chicken — can contain trans fat from the oil used in the cooking process.
Refrigerator dough - Products such as canned biscuits and cinnamon rolls often contain trans fat, as do frozen pizza crusts.
Creamer and margarine - Nondairy coffee creamer and stick margarines also may contain partially hydrogenated vegetable oils.
