The obituaries were being penned almost as news dropped that Tiger Woods, as synonymous with the Masters as Augusta's azaleas, had been forced to withdraw from the season's first major championship.
That back injury, which some harshly cited as merely an excuse for his poor form, was real after all. A wounded Woods required surgery, and his decision to do so a week out from an event he has not missed since his 1995 debut underlined the seriousness of his latest injury.
Remember, this was a man who defied doctors’ orders to contest the 2008 US Open; and on a fractured left leg, Woods prevailed to secure his 14th major title.
He has not taken one since.
In that time, the injury list has grown as long as one of his booming drives.
Problems with his neck, knee, Achilles tendon and elbow have reduced playing time and, as his body creaks towards its fifth decade, it appears Woods’s chances of surpassing Jack Nicklaus’s record 18 majors are rapidly diminishing, too.
Woods may have forever refuted his preoccupation with usurping Nicklaus, but it was telling he referenced the milestone in Tuesday’s statement.
Despite insisting he is “absolutely optimistic” about the future, his physical decline suggests the years are fast catching up. Woods may be 38, but he is an old 38. Time, training and a tireless tenacity have taken their toll.
As he conceded at January’s Dubai Desert Classic, Woods spent fewer pre-season hours on the practice range than in the past. It was his body, not his game, he said, that needed more attention.
That has since been open to debate, although the two are obviously linked. Woods has struggled all season, with that 41st in Dubai his best finish thus far. On this form, he was never going to get anywhere near a fifth green jacket, anyway. But, then again, Woods always delighted in defying the odds.
He presumably will return to the Masters next year having not won there in 10 years. It is a startling statistic. That, and the rise of golf’s next generation – Rory McIlroy, Jason Day, Jordan Spieth et al – illustrates the task awaiting Woods upon his return.
It is difficult to offer a long-term prognosis, but an immediate diagnosis is rather more straightforward: the Masters will undoubtedly be poorer for his absence. With Woods out, and Phil Mickelson and Day doubts, next week’s tournament could take place without three of the world’s top five.
Given the rash of injuries to the game’s best players, Adam Scott should perhaps revise his menu for Tuesday’s Champions Dinner. Cut down on the Aussie fare, and go heavy on the ibuprofen, instead.
jmcauley@thenational.ae
Follow our sports coverage on Twitter @SprtNationalUAE
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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
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Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
Who was Alfred Nobel?
The Nobel Prize was created by wealthy Swedish chemist and entrepreneur Alfred Nobel.
- In his will he dictated that the bulk of his estate should be used to fund "prizes to those who, during the preceding year, have conferred the greatest benefit to humankind".
- Nobel is best known as the inventor of dynamite, but also wrote poetry and drama and could speak Russian, French, English and German by the age of 17. The five original prize categories reflect the interests closest to his heart.
- Nobel died in 1896 but it took until 1901, following a legal battle over his will, before the first prizes were awarded.
