Rayhan Thomas' birdie blitz contributed to a second-round 61 at the Dubai Creek Open, his Tuesday tally quickly lit up social media. European Tour professionals and Olympians-cum-Politicians tweeted their congratulations. Courtesy Mena golf Tour
Rayhan Thomas' birdie blitz contributed to a second-round 61 at the Dubai Creek Open, his Tuesday tally quickly lit up social media. European Tour professionals and Olympians-cum-Politicians tweeted their congratulations. Courtesy Mena golf Tour
Rayhan Thomas' birdie blitz contributed to a second-round 61 at the Dubai Creek Open, his Tuesday tally quickly lit up social media. European Tour professionals and Olympians-cum-Politicians tweeted their congratulations. Courtesy Mena golf Tour
Rayhan Thomas' birdie blitz contributed to a second-round 61 at the Dubai Creek Open, his Tuesday tally quickly lit up social media. European Tour professionals and Olympians-cum-Politicians tweeted t

Rayhan Thomas shoots nine straight birdies at Dubai Creek Open to enter record books


John McAuley
  • English
  • Arabic

Dubai-based Rayhan Thomas added another notch to his CV on Tuesday when he shot nine consecutive birdies on the Mena Tour to equal the world record for an Official World Golf Rankings event.

The teenager, 17, began the birdie stretch at the second hole at Dubai Creek Golf and Yacht Club during the second round of the Dubai Creek Open - a tournament at which he is defending champion.

Eventually, Thomas carded a 10-under par 61 to equal the course record on his home track – the mark was set the previous day by Dubai resident MG Keyser – to move to the top of the leaderboard. Keyser, who went out later on Tuesday, shot a 68 to reclaim the summit ahead of Wednesday's final round.

Rayhan Thomas' scorecard from the second round of the 2017 Dubai Creek Open.
Rayhan Thomas' scorecard from the second round of the 2017 Dubai Creek Open.

Thomas’ nine birdies on the bounce equals the world record set by American Mark Calcavecchia at the 2009 RBC Canadian Open. Earlier this year, Austria’s Bernd Wiesberger fired nine consecutive birdies in the second round of the 2017 Maybank Championship in Malaysia. However, it is not officially recognised since preferred lies were in play because of wet conditions at Saujana Golf and Country in Kuala Lumpur.

Speaking of his record-equalling day, Thomas said: “Yeah, it was fun. It was a good run of birdies. I just stayed pretty much in the moment and let it happen. It just felt natural.

“I knew I could go low, especially round my home track where I know the greens so well. So I just let everything flow. I didn’t know about the record, but that’s nice. That’s pretty cool.”

Indoor Cricket World Cup - Sept 16-20, Insportz, Dubai

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
From Zero

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Label: Warner Records

Number of tracks: 11

Rating: 4/5

A timeline of the Historical Dictionary of the Arabic Language
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Dirham Stretcher tips for having a baby in the UAE

Selma Abdelhamid, the group's moderator, offers her guide to guide the cost of having a young family:

• Buy second hand stuff

 They grow so fast. Don't get a second hand car seat though, unless you 100 per cent know it's not expired and hasn't been in an accident.

• Get a health card and vaccinate your child for free at government health centres

 Ms Ma says she discovered this after spending thousands on vaccinations at private clinics.

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Before joining baby classes ask for a free trial session. This way you will know if it's for you or not. You'll be surprised how great some classes are and how bad others are.

• Once baby is ready for solids, cook at home

Take the food with you in reusable pouches or jars. You'll save a fortune and you'll know exactly what you're feeding your child.

Sole survivors
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  • Bahia Bakari, then 12, survived when a Yemenia Airways flight crashed near the Comoros in 2009, killing 152. She was found clinging to wreckage after floating in the ocean for 13 hours.
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Dates for the diary

To mark Bodytree’s 10th anniversary, the coming season will be filled with celebratory activities:

  • September 21 Anyone interested in becoming a certified yoga instructor can sign up for a 250-hour course in Yoga Teacher Training with Jacquelene Sadek. It begins on September 21 and will take place over the course of six weekends.
  • October 18 to 21 International yoga instructor, Yogi Nora, will be visiting Bodytree and offering classes.
  • October 26 to November 4 International pilates instructor Courtney Miller will be on hand at the studio, offering classes.
  • November 9 Bodytree is hosting a party to celebrate turning 10, and everyone is invited. Expect a day full of free classes on the grounds of the studio.
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