As if his motivation to make Europe’s Ryder Cup team was not already high, it was during some downtime through the Christmas break where it again hit home to Shane Lowry.
“It’s funny, I was just chilling in my house and I watched the Miracle at Medinah,” Lowry says, in reference to Europe’s famous comeback against the United States in 2012. “When you watch what went on there, and how much fun the lads had together, stuff like that spurs me on even more to get up early in the morning and work hard and get out there and go and make that team.”
Three Ryder Cups have been and gone since, but Lowry has yet to play in one. He was close in 2016, although his form stalled in the lead-up to Hazeltine and captain Darren Clarke opted as his three picks for Lee Westwood, Martin Kaymer and Thomas Pieters.
This time, Padraig Harrington sits at the helm as Europe attempt to retain the trophy at the postponed meet at Whistling Straits in September. Fellow Irishmen, Lowry and the three-time major champion are close friends off the course, although the former is determined to qualify outright this time.
Lowry has made no secret of this desire to add the Ryder Cup to a CV highlighted by a major title – the 2019 Open – and a WGC crown, among his five professional victories.
A debut appearance features high on his list of priorities for 2021.
“It’s up there,” Lowry says. “I’ve not been shy about saying it. Everyone knows I haven’t played in a Ryder Cup yet and I really want to do it. Not only do I want to do it, I feel I can add to the team, that I could bring something there, especially in the team room. I get on with most people very well.
“And not only do you want to make the team, but you want to go there and win the thing. That’s the way I look at it: not only do I want to make the team, but I want to go to America and bring that trophy back.
“Everyone knows Padraig is one of my best friends out here, so to be able to do that for him would be amazing too. Because, with the career he’s had, he’s arguably one of the best sportsmen that our country has ever seen. No one deserves it more than him.”
Lowry began his season in the UAE two weeks ago, but the 2019 Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship winner missed the cut in the capital despite not being overly dissatisfied with his play.
He responded with a better showing at the Omega Dubai Desert Classic, finishing on Sunday in a tied for 27th, and now tackles this week’s Saudi International powered by Softbank Investment Advisers knowing his game is moving in the right direction.
Lowry, 33, enjoyed his debut there last year – the tournament’s second edition – impressed by the Royal Greens Golf and Country Club course, the facilities in King Abdullah Economic City and the reception he received. He was tied-13th.
Before the tournament, Lowry played a practice round with young Saudi Saud Al Sharif, harking back to the days when as an amateur he would be lucky enough to pick the brains of the likes of Harrington or Rory McIlroy.
“I don’t really see myself as a role model,” he says. “Obviously I try and do as best I can and portray myself as best I can. I just see myself as another player and go about my business, but to actually have people look up to you and want to learn from you is pretty cool as well. When you get to play with better players you become a better player.”
The same could be said for Lowry this week, despite his impressive achievements to date. The field in Saudi is stacked, with world No 1 Dustin Johnson at its head, and four of the world's top 10 competing in all. Johnson won the inaugural event, in 2019, and was runner-up last year.
So plenty of world ranking points up for grabs. And in a Ryder Cup year, too.
“Every week you come out here, no matter what week, you’re playing against a top-class field,” says Lowry, the world No 37. “But this week more so than anywhere.
“At the end of the year every shot counts towards something, so you want to go out there and put yourself up against the best players in the world, and this is a great week to do that.
“Hopefully I can get myself in some sort of contention going down the stretch. And if it’s against one of the best players in the world, that’d be great too.”
Like last year, Lowry landed in Saudi without the Claret Jug. Secured in stunning fashion at Royal Portrush in Northern Ireland two summers ago, he is yet to defend his crown after the pandemic forced golf’s oldest major to be cancelled last July.
________________
Shane Lowry's British Open triumph - in pictures
________________
Since Lowry remains the reigning champion, the Claret Jug remains in his possession – sort of.
“It’s tricky, when you’re going from place to place, it’s a big suitcase – I never thought I’d be complaining about this – but it’s a big piece of luggage to get round,” he says.
“It’s amazing and mad to think that I’m still actually holding the main one and the tournament hasn’t been played yet. Because it feels like so long ago since I won it.
“It’s in Ireland. I miss it. I think I’ll get it brought over to America in a couple weeks, just to have it for the last few months. And then hopefully when I get to Royal St George’s I’m giving it back but only for a few days.”
Hold onto it beyond July, and Lowry would surely be able to show it off in Wisconsin in September.
The Ryder Cup sits prominently on his to-do list, but it’s not the sole reason he describes his motivation as stronger than ever.
“I think when you grow up and mature a little bit more, you see what you’re actually doing,” Lowry says. “And I feel I’m in the middle of creating quite a decent career for myself and I’m very motivated to go on and add to the trophies that I’ve won.
“Hopefully go on to win bigger tournaments, more so for my family and friends. To see what Portrush did for those people was pretty cool, and I’d love to be able to do that again.
“Even now over the next few months, when you see the struggles people are having at home, I’d love to be able to give them something to watch on TV and something to cheer about. That’s where my motivation is at the minute.
“I do feel more motivated than ever. Not that I’ve ever not been motivated - I’ve always been very competitive and determined to be the best that I can be.
“But, when you grow up and have a family and start looking at that, and you realise the life you can give them, that motivates you every day to get out of bed and go to work.”
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Series info
Test series schedule 1st Test, Abu Dhabi: Sri Lanka won by 21 runs; 2nd Test, Dubai: Play starts at 2pm, Friday-Tuesday
ODI series schedule 1st ODI, Dubai: October 13; 2nd ODI, Abu Dhabi: October 16; 3rd ODI, Abu Dhabi: October 18; 4th ODI, Sharjah: October 20; 5th ODI, Sharjah: October 23
T20 series schedule 1st T20, Abu Dhabi: October 26; 2nd T20, Abu Dhabi: October 27; 3rd T20, Lahore: October 29
Tickets Available at www.q-tickets.com
Stat Fourteen Fourteen of the past 15 Test matches in the UAE have been decided on the final day. Both of the previous two Tests at Dubai International Stadium have been settled in the last session. Pakistan won with less than an hour to go against West Indies last year. Against England in 2015, there were just three balls left.
Key battle - Azhar Ali v Rangana Herath Herath may not quite be as flash as Muttiah Muralitharan, his former spin-twin who ended his career by taking his 800th wicket with his final delivery in Tests. He still has a decent sense of an ending, though. He won the Abu Dhabi match for his side with 11 wickets, the last of which was his 400th in Tests. It was not the first time he has owned Pakistan, either. A quarter of all his Test victims have been Pakistani. If Pakistan are going to avoid a first ever series defeat in the UAE, Azhar, their senior batsman, needs to stand up and show the way to blunt Herath.
England's Ashes squad
Joe Root (captain), Moeen Ali, Jimmy Anderson, Jofra Archer, Jonny Bairstow, Stuart Broad, Rory Burns, Jos Buttler, Sam Curran, Joe Denly, Jason Roy, Ben Stokes, Olly Stone, Chris Woakes.
Mrs%20Chatterjee%20Vs%20Norway
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDirector%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Ashima%20Chibber%C2%A0%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EStars%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Rani%20Mukerji%2C%20Anirban%20Bhattacharya%20and%20Jim%20Sarbh%C2%A0%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%202%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Infiniti QX80 specs
Engine: twin-turbocharged 3.5-liter V6
Power: 450hp
Torque: 700Nm
Price: From Dh450,000, Autograph model from Dh510,000
Available: Now
Dark Souls: Remastered
Developer: From Software (remaster by QLOC)
Publisher: Namco Bandai
Price: Dh199
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
Where to buy
Limited-edition art prints of The Sofa Series: Sultani can be acquired from Reem El Mutwalli at www.reemelmutwalli.com
Mercer, the investment consulting arm of US services company Marsh & McLennan, expects its wealth division to at least double its assets under management (AUM) in the Middle East as wealth in the region continues to grow despite economic headwinds, a company official said.
Mercer Wealth, which globally has $160 billion in AUM, plans to boost its AUM in the region to $2-$3bn in the next 2-3 years from the present $1bn, said Yasir AbuShaban, a Dubai-based principal with Mercer Wealth.
“Within the next two to three years, we are looking at reaching $2 to $3 billion as a conservative estimate and we do see an opportunity to do so,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Mercer does not directly make investments, but allocates clients’ money they have discretion to, to professional asset managers. They also provide advice to clients.
“We have buying power. We can negotiate on their (client’s) behalf with asset managers to provide them lower fees than they otherwise would have to get on their own,” he added.
Mercer Wealth’s clients include sovereign wealth funds, family offices, and insurance companies among others.
From its office in Dubai, Mercer also looks after Africa, India and Turkey, where they also see opportunity for growth.
Wealth creation in Middle East and Africa (MEA) grew 8.5 per cent to $8.1 trillion last year from $7.5tn in 2015, higher than last year’s global average of 6 per cent and the second-highest growth in a region after Asia-Pacific which grew 9.9 per cent, according to consultancy Boston Consulting Group (BCG). In the region, where wealth grew just 1.9 per cent in 2015 compared with 2014, a pickup in oil prices has helped in wealth generation.
BCG is forecasting MEA wealth will rise to $12tn by 2021, growing at an annual average of 8 per cent.
Drivers of wealth generation in the region will be split evenly between new wealth creation and growth of performance of existing assets, according to BCG.
Another general trend in the region is clients’ looking for a comprehensive approach to investing, according to Mr AbuShaban.
“Institutional investors or some of the families are seeing a slowdown in the available capital they have to invest and in that sense they are looking at optimizing the way they manage their portfolios and making sure they are not investing haphazardly and different parts of their investment are working together,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Some clients also have a higher appetite for risk, given the low interest-rate environment that does not provide enough yield for some institutional investors. These clients are keen to invest in illiquid assets, such as private equity and infrastructure.
“What we have seen is a desire for higher returns in what has been a low-return environment specifically in various fixed income or bonds,” he said.
“In this environment, we have seen a de facto increase in the risk that clients are taking in things like illiquid investments, private equity investments, infrastructure and private debt, those kind of investments were higher illiquidity results in incrementally higher returns.”
The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, one of the largest sovereign wealth funds, said in its 2016 report that has gradually increased its exposure in direct private equity and private credit transactions, mainly in Asian markets and especially in China and India. The authority’s private equity department focused on structured equities owing to “their defensive characteristics.”
LOVE%20AGAIN
%3Cp%3EDirector%3A%20Jim%20Strouse%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EStars%3A%20Priyanka%20Chopra%20Jonas%2C%20Sam%20Heughan%2C%20Celine%20Dion%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3ERating%3A%202%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Bugatti Chiron Super Sport - the specs:
Engine: 8.0-litre quad-turbo W16
Transmission: 7-speed DSG auto
Power: 1,600hp
Torque: 1,600Nm
0-100kph in 2.4seconds
0-200kph in 5.8 seconds
0-300kph in 12.1 seconds
Top speed: 440kph
Price: Dh13,200,000
Bugatti Chiron Pur Sport - the specs:
Engine: 8.0-litre quad-turbo W16
Transmission: 7-speed DSG auto
Power: 1,500hp
Torque: 1,600Nm
0-100kph in 2.3 seconds
0-200kph in 5.5 seconds
0-300kph in 11.8 seconds
Top speed: 350kph
Price: Dh13,600,000
Elvis
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDirector%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Baz%20Luhrmann%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EStars%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Austin%20Butler%2C%20Tom%20Hanks%2C%20Olivia%20DeJonge%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%204%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Email sent to Uber team from chief executive Dara Khosrowshahi
From: Dara
To: Team@
Date: March 25, 2019 at 11:45pm PT
Subj: Accelerating in the Middle East
Five years ago, Uber launched in the Middle East. It was the start of an incredible journey, with millions of riders and drivers finding new ways to move and work in a dynamic region that’s become so important to Uber. Now Pakistan is one of our fastest-growing markets in the world, women are driving with Uber across Saudi Arabia, and we chose Cairo to launch our first Uber Bus product late last year.
Today we are taking the next step in this journey—well, it’s more like a leap, and a big one: in a few minutes, we’ll announce that we’ve agreed to acquire Careem. Importantly, we intend to operate Careem independently, under the leadership of co-founder and current CEO Mudassir Sheikha. I’ve gotten to know both co-founders, Mudassir and Magnus Olsson, and what they have built is truly extraordinary. They are first-class entrepreneurs who share our platform vision and, like us, have launched a wide range of products—from digital payments to food delivery—to serve consumers.
I expect many of you will ask how we arrived at this structure, meaning allowing Careem to maintain an independent brand and operate separately. After careful consideration, we decided that this framework has the advantage of letting us build new products and try new ideas across not one, but two, strong brands, with strong operators within each. Over time, by integrating parts of our networks, we can operate more efficiently, achieve even lower wait times, expand new products like high-capacity vehicles and payments, and quicken the already remarkable pace of innovation in the region.
This acquisition is subject to regulatory approval in various countries, which we don’t expect before Q1 2020. Until then, nothing changes. And since both companies will continue to largely operate separately after the acquisition, very little will change in either teams’ day-to-day operations post-close. Today’s news is a testament to the incredible business our team has worked so hard to build.
It’s a great day for the Middle East, for the region’s thriving tech sector, for Careem, and for Uber.
Uber on,
Dara
The Kites
Romain Gary
Penguin Modern Classics
Dubai Bling season three
Cast: Loujain Adada, Zeina Khoury, Farhana Bodi, Ebraheem Al Samadi, Mona Kattan, and couples Safa & Fahad Siddiqui and DJ Bliss & Danya Mohammed
Rating: 1/5
