SHANGHAI // Keegan Bradley forged a two stroke lead at the HSBC Champions in Shanghai today as he seeks to cap a remarkable first professional season by winning the coveted title.
The rookie American carded two eagles and three birdies as he charged to a first round seven-under-par 65 after teeing off in a formidable group comprising of England's world No 2 Lee Westwood and Adam Scott, the Australian.
The 21- ear old Bradley — winner of the Byron Nelson Championship and the PGA Championship at Atlanta Athletic Club — said he was in awe of his group but managed to maintain his nerves to carve a gap between compatriot Bo Van Pelt and Sweden's Alexander Noren and Fredrik Jacobson, all tied second on five-under par.
"To think a year after picking up my PGA card that I would be in a group with Lee and Adam is a dream come true. I am amazed at who I'm around," said Bradley, who also claimed victory in the Bermudan PGA Grand Slam of Golf.
"I'm just very proud of the way I played. To play like that in the first round in a tournament like that on this course is very rewarding and means a lot to me," he added.
Thailand's Thongchai Jaidee and Korean veteran KJ Choi kept regional flags flying in Asia's biggest golf tournament and are tied fifth with David Toms, the American, and Englishman Justin Rose on four-under.
Exactly a year ago Westwood took away the No 1 ranking from long-term summit resident Tiger Woods.
He then narrowly lost the 2010 HSBC Champions by one shot to Italy's Francesco Molinari in an enthralling play-off.
And 12 months on, the 38-year-old lies tied ninth on three-under-par after three bogeys lessened the effect of an eagle and four birdies.
Molinari, the defending champion, is seeking a rerun of his thrilling title win and sunk seven birdies to lie tied 18th.
Bradley's fellow 2011 major winners, Charl Schwartzel, the South African, and Northern Ireland's Rory McIlroy, are also lying joint 18th after first rounds of 70.
The 22-year-old US Open champion bogeyed the 10th hole and carded two birdies in the light drizzle at the Sheshan International Golf Club.
"Seventy isn't a disastrous start and something I can definitely build on" McIlroy said
Luke Donald, the World No 1, pulled out of the US$7 million tournament last week to be with his wife for the birth of their second child.
Many believed Englishman Donald, who tops the Race to Dubai money list and is the PGA Tour money winner, had sewed up the PGA's Tour Player of the Year gong with his sizzling end of season win in the Children's Miracle Network Classic in Disney World.
But PGA Tour officials, rebuffing claims of US bias, decided last week to wait until after the HSBC Champions, which counts as an official win if one of their players claims victory, before posting out Player of the Year ballots.
ICC T20 Team of 2021
Jos Buttler, Mohammad Rizwan, Babar Azam, Aiden Markram, Mitchell Marsh, David Miller, Tabraiz Shamsi, Josh Hazlewood, Wanindu Hasaranga, Mustafizur Rahman, Shaheen Afridi
Dust and sand storms compared
Sand storm
- Particle size: Larger, heavier sand grains
- Visibility: Often dramatic with thick "walls" of sand
- Duration: Short-lived, typically localised
- Travel distance: Limited
- Source: Open desert areas with strong winds
Dust storm
- Particle size: Much finer, lightweight particles
- Visibility: Hazy skies but less intense
- Duration: Can linger for days
- Travel distance: Long-range, up to thousands of kilometres
- Source: Can be carried from distant regions
Quick pearls of wisdom
Focus on gratitude: And do so deeply, he says. “Think of one to three things a day that you’re grateful for. It needs to be specific, too, don’t just say ‘air.’ Really think about it. If you’re grateful for, say, what your parents have done for you, that will motivate you to do more for the world.”
Know how to fight: Shetty married his wife, Radhi, three years ago (he met her in a meditation class before he went off and became a monk). He says they’ve had to learn to respect each other’s “fighting styles” – he’s a talk it-out-immediately person, while she needs space to think. “When you’re having an argument, remember, it’s not you against each other. It’s both of you against the problem. When you win, they lose. If you’re on a team you have to win together.”
10 tips for entry-level job seekers
- Have an up-to-date, professional LinkedIn profile. If you don’t have a LinkedIn account, set one up today. Avoid poor-quality profile pictures with distracting backgrounds. Include a professional summary and begin to grow your network.
- Keep track of the job trends in your sector through the news. Apply for job alerts at your dream organisations and the types of jobs you want – LinkedIn uses AI to share similar relevant jobs based on your selections.
- Double check that you’ve highlighted relevant skills on your resume and LinkedIn profile.
- For most entry-level jobs, your resume will first be filtered by an applicant tracking system for keywords. Look closely at the description of the job you are applying for and mirror the language as much as possible (while being honest and accurate about your skills and experience).
- Keep your CV professional and in a simple format – make sure you tailor your cover letter and application to the company and role.
- Go online and look for details on job specifications for your target position. Make a list of skills required and set yourself some learning goals to tick off all the necessary skills one by one.
- Don’t be afraid to reach outside your immediate friends and family to other acquaintances and let them know you are looking for new opportunities.
- Make sure you’ve set your LinkedIn profile to signal that you are “open to opportunities”. Also be sure to use LinkedIn to search for people who are still actively hiring by searching for those that have the headline “I’m hiring” or “We’re hiring” in their profile.
- Prepare for online interviews using mock interview tools. Even before landing interviews, it can be useful to start practising.
- Be professional and patient. Always be professional with whoever you are interacting with throughout your search process, this will be remembered. You need to be patient, dedicated and not give up on your search. Candidates need to make sure they are following up appropriately for roles they have applied.
Arda Atalay, head of Mena private sector at LinkedIn Talent Solutions, Rudy Bier, managing partner of Kinetic Business Solutions and Ben Kinerman Daltrey, co-founder of KinFitz
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
info-box
COMPANY PROFILE
Company name: Happy Tenant
Started: January 2019
Co-founders: Joe Moufarrej and Umar Rana
Based: Dubai
Sector: Technology, real-estate
Initial investment: Dh2.5 million
Investors: Self-funded
Total customers: 4,000
