Tommy Fleetwood was among the first to congratulate Francesco Molinari.
The race was run, the former passing the baton to the latter as the final few hours of the DP World Tour Championship played out behind them.
From one European No 1 to another. Close pals, they clasped hands, shared an embrace and exchanged a couple of pleasantries. There were smiles all round, all genuine, each one sincere.
As Fleetwood has maintained for some time, if he could not hang onto his Race to Dubai crown this week, when the 2018 European Tour came to a close at Jumeirah Golf Estates, then he would not rather anyone else have it than Molinari.
He knew the British Open champion deserved it. The Italian, the first from his country to be clinch the Order of Merit, has experienced a phenomenal season, highlighted by a first win on the PGA Tour, victory at the European Tour’s flagship event at Wentworth, a first major, and a perfect five points from five as Europe stormed to the Ryder Cup.
No other European in history had won all their five matches.
To cap it all off, he is now Race to Dubai champion. By around 800,000 points from Patrick Reed, who snuck into second with a runner-up finish on Sunday. By approximately one million from Fleetwood.
“I'm really struggling for words,” Molinari said. “It's more than I ever dreamed of achieving. I've seen guys that I think are better players than me not winning majors and not winning Order of Merits or Race to Dubai.
"To achieve those things in one single season is just… incredible.”
Molinari, 36, closed out his campaign on Sunday with a 1-under par 71, to finish 6-under for the tournament and in a tie for 26th. He had come into the week knowing Fleetwood, nine years his junior, needed to win at the Earth Course to stand any chance of retaining the Race to Dubai crown.
After a valiant first two rounds, that suddenly felt attainable, but a 74 on Saturday prompted Fleetwood to concede: "You kind of know when your time's up."
He fared significantly better on Sunday, though, carding a 68 to settle in tied-16th.
Usually forthcoming, Fleetwood did not stop for the media afterwards, but there seemed no bitterness in that. Perhaps he was just letting his best buddy bask in the glow of a spectacular achievement.
“Incredible... incredible,” Molinari repeated. "Now I'm going to have time to sit down and relax and really think back about the last few months.
"This morning on the first tee, the announcement as the winner of the Open Championship, Race to Dubai leader - doesn't sound real at the moment.
“You look at the players who have won the Race to Dubai or the Order of Merit before that, and obviously it's only really the top players that have done it. I never thought something like this would happen to me, to be honest, and now it's going to be a challenge to reset before next year and work as hard as I did the past winter and try to reproduce the same golf.
“It's going to be nearly impossible to repeat or to beat that. It's going to take a while to get used to, but I'm looking forward at the same time to next year and I'm sure that there's more good golf to come from me. Hopefully we will see already next year.”
That the season went down to a duel between both halves of "Moliwood" provided the perfect script. The pair fused further their friendship at the recent Ryder Cup, when they went four-for-four together across Friday and Saturday - another historic feat - to secure for Europe what turned out to be an unassailable lead.
"It probably would have been easier or more comfortable playing against someone else and not him, but it is what it is," Molinari said.
"He won last year. He's a great guy and an even better player, and he's going to win, I'm sure, a lot more Race to Dubais. He's a bit younger than me, so it was nice to win one this year.
"I don't have as much golf in front of me as he does, I think."
_____________
Read more:
Francesco Molinari: Highlights of the Race to Dubai champion's historic season
Danny Willett’s wait is over as Englishman ends title drought with DP World Tour Championship win
Shubhankar Sharma caps 'great year' with European Tour rookie award
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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
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Gulf Men's League final
Dubai Hurricanes 24-12 Abu Dhabi Harlequins
5 of the most-popular Airbnb locations in Dubai
Bobby Grudziecki, chief operating officer of Frank Porter, identifies the five most popular areas in Dubai for those looking to make the most out of their properties and the rates owners can secure:
• Dubai Marina
The Marina and Jumeirah Beach Residence are popular locations, says Mr Grudziecki, due to their closeness to the beach, restaurants and hotels.
Frank Porter’s average Airbnb rent:
One bedroom: Dh482 to Dh739
Two bedroom: Dh627 to Dh960
Three bedroom: Dh721 to Dh1,104
• Downtown
Within walking distance of the Dubai Mall, Burj Khalifa and the famous fountains, this location combines business and leisure. “Sure it’s for tourists,” says Mr Grudziecki. “Though Downtown [still caters to business people] because it’s close to Dubai International Financial Centre."
Frank Porter’s average Airbnb rent:
One bedroom: Dh497 to Dh772
Two bedroom: Dh646 to Dh1,003
Three bedroom: Dh743 to Dh1,154
• City Walk
The rising star of the Dubai property market, this area is lined with pristine sidewalks, boutiques and cafes and close to the new entertainment venue Coca Cola Arena. “Downtown and Marina are pretty much the same prices,” Mr Grudziecki says, “but City Walk is higher.”
Frank Porter’s average Airbnb rent:
One bedroom: Dh524 to Dh809
Two bedroom: Dh682 to Dh1,052
Three bedroom: Dh784 to Dh1,210
• Jumeirah Lake Towers
Dubai Marina’s little brother JLT resides on the other side of Sheikh Zayed road but is still close enough to beachside outlets and attractions. The big selling point for Airbnb renters, however, is that “it’s cheaper than Dubai Marina”, Mr Grudziecki says.
Frank Porter’s average Airbnb rent:
One bedroom: Dh422 to Dh629
Two bedroom: Dh549 to Dh818
Three bedroom: Dh631 to Dh941
• Palm Jumeirah
Palm Jumeirah's proximity to luxury resorts is attractive, especially for big families, says Mr Grudziecki, as Airbnb renters can secure competitive rates on one of the world’s most famous tourist destinations.
Frank Porter’s average Airbnb rent:
One bedroom: Dh503 to Dh770
Two bedroom: Dh654 to Dh1,002
Three bedroom: Dh752 to Dh1,152
Joker: Folie a Deux
Starring: Joaquin Phoenix, Lady Gaga, Brendan Gleeson
Director: Todd Phillips
Rating: 2/5
Ferrari 12Cilindri specs
Engine: naturally aspirated 6.5-liter V12
Power: 819hp
Torque: 678Nm at 7,250rpm
Price: From Dh1,700,000
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The Africa Institute 101
Housed on the same site as the original Africa Hall, which first hosted an Arab-African Symposium in 1976, the newly renovated building will be home to a think tank and postgraduate studies hub (it will offer master’s and PhD programmes). The centre will focus on both the historical and contemporary links between Africa and the Gulf, and will serve as a meeting place for conferences, symposia, lectures, film screenings, plays, musical performances and more. In fact, today it is hosting a symposium – 5-plus-1: Rethinking Abstraction that will look at the six decades of Frank Bowling’s career, as well as those of his contemporaries that invested social, cultural and personal meaning into abstraction.
More from Rashmee Roshan Lall
The five pillars of Islam
1. Fasting
2. Prayer
3. Hajj
4. Shahada
5. Zakat
The story in numbers
18
This is how many recognised sects Lebanon is home to, along with about four million citizens
450,000
More than this many Palestinian refugees are registered with UNRWA in Lebanon, with about 45 per cent of them living in the country’s 12 refugee camps
1.5 million
There are just under 1 million Syrian refugees registered with the UN, although the government puts the figure upwards of 1.5m
73
The percentage of stateless people in Lebanon, who are not of Palestinian origin, born to a Lebanese mother, according to a 2012-2013 study by human rights organisation Frontiers Ruwad Association
18,000
The number of marriages recorded between Lebanese women and foreigners between the years 1995 and 2008, according to a 2009 study backed by the UN Development Programme
77,400
The number of people believed to be affected by the current nationality law, according to the 2009 UN study
4,926
This is how many Lebanese-Palestinian households there were in Lebanon in 2016, according to a census by the Lebanese-Palestinian dialogue committee
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
