ABU DHABI // Padraig Harrington, winner of the last two majors and a logical favourite here, looked as though he was capable of fulfilling those expectations when he improved his score by five strokes in the first eight holes of the final round.
The Irishman, 16 under par at that stage, finished the round with only one shot lesser and eventually settle for a share of fifth place.
However, Harrington chose to see it as good preparation to improve his prospects. "I'm pleased with what I saw out there," he said.
"I've got two weeks now to work on some of the things I've seen and then I will try to get myself into competitive mode."
If Harrington did not regard himself in competitive mode yet, then it augured well for the coming year.
After a battling 71 in Thursday's opening round he shot two 66s and a 68 and made a good job of hiding what he insisted are inadequacies in his game after his winter break.
"I've scored well but my scores have flattered me, considering the way I have played here," he remarked.
"I did not expect to shoot 17 under par. If you had offered me 12 under at the start I would have sat in the clubhouse feeling very happy at the end.
"I thought 12 under had a chance because the rough was heavy out there but so many players have had good scores.
"But we were not predicting the greens to be as soft as they have been [they were waterlogged on the first morning of the tournament] and we didn't expect there to be so little wind."
Harrington believes Abu Dhabi is the ideal place to hone your game for the new season. "Players coming here see it as a two-fold opportunity," he said.
"We get perfect conditions to play golf in but we also get perfect conditions for practising if we are not in our best form.
"You don't want to be going anywhere at this time of the year where conditions are going to be less than perfect because this is the time when you have to put in a lot of work on your game."
wjohnson@thenational.ae
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Know before you go
- Jebel Akhdar is a two-hour drive from Muscat airport or a six-hour drive from Dubai. It’s impossible to visit by car unless you have a 4x4. Phone ahead to the hotel to arrange a transfer.
- If you’re driving, make sure your insurance covers Oman.
- By air: Budget airlines Air Arabia, Flydubai and SalamAir offer direct routes to Muscat from the UAE.
- Tourists from the Emirates (UAE nationals not included) must apply for an Omani visa online before arrival at evisa.rop.gov.om. The process typically takes several days.
- Flash floods are probable due to the terrain and a lack of drainage. Always check the weather before venturing into any canyons or other remote areas and identify a plan of escape that includes high ground, shelter and parking where your car won’t be overtaken by sudden downpours.
Paatal Lok season two
Directors: Avinash Arun, Prosit Roy
Stars: Jaideep Ahlawat, Ishwak Singh, Lc Sekhose, Merenla Imsong
Rating: 4.5/5
How to avoid crypto fraud
- Use unique usernames and passwords while enabling multi-factor authentication.
- Use an offline private key, a physical device that requires manual activation, whenever you access your wallet.
- Avoid suspicious social media ads promoting fraudulent schemes.
- Only invest in crypto projects that you fully understand.
- Critically assess whether a project’s promises or returns seem too good to be true.
- Only use reputable platforms that have a track record of strong regulatory compliance.
- Store funds in hardware wallets as opposed to online exchanges.
Squid Game season two
Director: Hwang Dong-hyuk
Stars: Lee Jung-jae, Wi Ha-joon and Lee Byung-hun
Rating: 4.5/5
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: HyperSpace
Started: 2020
Founders: Alexander Heller, Rama Allen and Desi Gonzalez
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: Entertainment
Number of staff: 210
Investment raised: $75 million from investors including Galaxy Interactive, Riyadh Season, Sega Ventures and Apis Venture Partners
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
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Almnssa
Started: August 2020
Founder: Areej Selmi
Based: Gaza
Sectors: Internet, e-commerce
Investments: Grants/private funding
Ordinary Virtues: Moral Order in a Divided World by Michael Ignatieff
Harvard University Press
