Magnificent Morikawa reinforces a truly elite talent
Already the game’s premier iron player, Collin Morikawa dazzled with his putter to record a win for the ages. Sat 124th overall on the PGA Tour with the short stick in hand, the American ranked No 1 around Royal St George’s. Keep to that sort of level and he will be incredibly hard to beat – as if this week didn't prove that enough.
Aged 24, and in only his third full season as a professional, Morikawa has undeniably the game and the gumption to challenge consistently for top honours. Heck, he’s a two-time major champion, adding the Claret Jug to the Wanamaker Trophy he captured in May last year. That was won, too, on debut, making Morikawa the first golfer in history to land two majors at the first attempt.
Other stats bear out a star very much on the rise: fewest major starts (8) needed to win twice since Bobby Jones in 1926; in the past 100 years, only two players won their second major in fewer attempts: Gene Sarazen and Walter Hagen; Tiger Woods is the only other golfer to secure the PGA Championship and the Open before turning 25.
On Sunday, after going out in the final group, Morikawa produced near-flawless golf for a bogey-free 66 to win by two. His composure could be almost as impressive as his iron play.
Oosthuizen goes agonisingly close again
Check out Louis Oosthuizen’s past two months of golf at the apex of the professional game. The South African, an Open champion already, has contended in the past three majors, becoming one of a select band to have finished in the top three in three majors in a single year.
Oosthuizen began Sunday with a one-shot lead, but failed to get anything going as playing partner Morikawa left him in his wake. A final-round 71 wrecked his bid to win wire-to-wire and led to a third-placed finish. In the end, he was four shots back. What’s more, it extended Oosthuizen’s quest for a second major championship to what will be 12 years by the time the Masters rolls around in April.
However, it’s not like he hasn’t put himself in position: since landing the Open at St Andrews in 2010, Oosthuizen has six runner-up finishes in majors. Two of those came recently, when he came home two shots behind Phil Mickelson at the PGA Championship in May, and then when Jon Rahm pipped him by a stroke at last month's US Open.
Aged 38, Oosthuizen must be wondering how many more of those opportunities will present themselves. Fortunately, and like Sunday’s victor, he has the temperament to go again.
Resurgent Spieth is back… almost
No doubt, Jordan Spieth will be ruing his Saturday finish. The American was putting together a tasty title challenge only to bogey the final two holes of his third round and fall three shots behind overnight leader Oosthuizen. Then Spieth did what Spieth used to do: he rebounded from an early setback with a scintillating run that provided further evidence of his mighty talent.
After bogeying the 4th and the 6th on Sunday, the 2017 Open champion eagled the next, playing an eight-hole stretch in 6-under par. Ultimately, it wasn’t enough – Morikawa saw to that – with Spieth finishing two shots back, in second place.
However, it suggested his 2021 resurgence remains on track. Having reeled off three majors before he’d turned 24 and ascending to world No 1, Spieth fell to 98th in the global rankings as his form deserted him. Until this year. He won the Texas Open in April - his first tournament victory since his Open triumph – and has six top-four finishes and two more top 10s in his past 14 outings.
In April, Spieth finished tied-3rd at the Masters. Sometimes, given his early career blaze, it’s easy to forget Spieth has plenty of time on his side to make more history. Now world No 14, he doesn’t turn 28 until the end of this month.
Patience required with mid-transition McIlroy
On the surface, it represented another disappointing major display for Rory McIlroy. The former world No 1, who secured the Claret Jug in 2014, did not figure much throughout the tournament at Royal St George’s, finishing the week in a tie for 46th.
Signing off for an even-par 280 total, he was 15 shots adrift of Morikawa. And so the wait for a fifth major sustains. That it would endure seven years from his last in 2014 – he won the PGA Championship the month after his Open success – seemed entirely inconceivable back then.
There is a massive caveat, though, to his current malaise. McIlroy is at present trying to figure out his game under the watchful eye of Pete Cowan, the highly respected coach whom he began working with in March as he sough to fix his swing.
In Sandwich, McIlroy mixed some spectacular play with some woeful errors. His deadeye driving - his great weapon - deserted him at the weekend. Afterwards, in typically candid fashion, the four-time major winner acknowledged the need to eradicate the costly mistakes.
Plainly, McIlroy’s past three results underline a work in progress: he was tied-59th at the Irish Open, missed the cut in Scotland and never challenged this past week. Sitting at world No 15, McIlroy heads to a first Olympics with much to work on.
US Ryder Cup team shaping up nicely
The final leaderboard at Royal St George’s would not have made brilliant reading for European Ryder Cup captain Padraig Harrington. Of the top 11, six hailed from across the Atlantic, while Jon Rahm and Robert MacIntyre were the only Europeans in that group.
Rahm’s tied-3rd was cause for optimism, as the result moved the Spaniard back to world No 1. Coming a month after his first major crown - he won the US Open by a shot - and a week after his tied-7th in Scotland, Rahm seems set to lead Europe's charge at Whistling Straights in September.
Harrington should be heartened too by Viktor Hovland, Shane Lowry and Paul Casey finishing inside the top 15, while Sergio Garcia finally showed form with a tie for 19th.
Still, the United States look incredibly impressive. Morikawa won, Spieth was runner-up, Brooks Koepka finished tied-6th and Dustin Johnson was tied-8th and thus trending back towards the sort of unparalleled form that catapulted him to top spot in the global standings.
As has been known for some time, captain Steve Stricker has an embarrassment of riches from which to choose, even without mentioning Justin Thomas, Xander Schauffele and Bryson DeChambeau (world No 4, 5 and 6, respectively). Europe could do with usual protagonist McIlroy finding his game, among others.
Singham Again
Director: Rohit Shetty
Stars: Ajay Devgn, Kareena Kapoor Khan, Ranveer Singh, Akshay Kumar, Tiger Shroff, Deepika Padukone
Rating: 3/5
Key changes
Commission caps
For life insurance products with a savings component, Peter Hodgins of Clyde & Co said different caps apply to the saving and protection elements:
• For the saving component, a cap of 4.5 per cent of the annualised premium per year (which may not exceed 90 per cent of the annualised premium over the policy term).
• On the protection component, there is a cap of 10 per cent of the annualised premium per year (which may not exceed 160 per cent of the annualised premium over the policy term).
• Indemnity commission, the amount of commission that can be advanced to a product salesperson, can be 50 per cent of the annualised premium for the first year or 50 per cent of the total commissions on the policy calculated.
• The remaining commission after deduction of the indemnity commission is paid equally over the premium payment term.
• For pure protection products, which only offer a life insurance component, the maximum commission will be 10 per cent of the annualised premium multiplied by the length of the policy in years.
Disclosure
Customers must now be provided with a full illustration of the product they are buying to ensure they understand the potential returns on savings products as well as the effects of any charges. There is also a “free-look” period of 30 days, where insurers must provide a full refund if the buyer wishes to cancel the policy.
“The illustration should provide for at least two scenarios to illustrate the performance of the product,” said Mr Hodgins. “All illustrations are required to be signed by the customer.”
Another illustration must outline surrender charges to ensure they understand the costs of exiting a fixed-term product early.
Illustrations must also be kept updatedand insurers must provide information on the top five investment funds available annually, including at least five years' performance data.
“This may be segregated based on the risk appetite of the customer (in which case, the top five funds for each segment must be provided),” said Mr Hodgins.
Product providers must also disclose the ratio of protection benefit to savings benefits. If a protection benefit ratio is less than 10 per cent "the product must carry a warning stating that it has limited or no protection benefit" Mr Hodgins added.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
French business
France has organised a delegation of leading businesses to travel to Syria. The group was led by French shipping giant CMA CGM, which struck a 30-year contract in May with the Syrian government to develop and run Latakia port. Also present were water and waste management company Suez, defence multinational Thales, and Ellipse Group, which is currently looking into rehabilitating Syrian hospitals.
Essentials
The flights
Etihad and Emirates fly direct from the UAE to Delhi from about Dh950 return including taxes.
The hotels
Double rooms at Tijara Fort-Palace cost from 6,670 rupees (Dh377), including breakfast.
Doubles at Fort Bishangarh cost from 29,030 rupees (Dh1,641), including breakfast. Doubles at Narendra Bhawan cost from 15,360 rupees (Dh869). Doubles at Chanoud Garh cost from 19,840 rupees (Dh1,122), full board. Doubles at Fort Begu cost from 10,000 rupees (Dh565), including breakfast.
The tours
Amar Grover travelled with Wild Frontiers. A tailor-made, nine-day itinerary via New Delhi, with one night in Tijara and two nights in each of the remaining properties, including car/driver, costs from £1,445 (Dh6,968) per person.
White hydrogen: Naturally occurring hydrogen
Chromite: Hard, metallic mineral containing iron oxide and chromium oxide
Ultramafic rocks: Dark-coloured rocks rich in magnesium or iron with very low silica content
Ophiolite: A section of the earth’s crust, which is oceanic in nature that has since been uplifted and exposed on land
Olivine: A commonly occurring magnesium iron silicate mineral that derives its name for its olive-green yellow-green colour
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The biog
Name: Marie Byrne
Nationality: Irish
Favourite film: The Shawshank Redemption
Book: Seagull by Jonathan Livingston
Life lesson: A person is not old until regret takes the place of their dreams
The White Lotus: Season three
Creator: Mike White
Starring: Walton Goggins, Jason Isaacs, Natasha Rothwell
Rating: 4.5/5
Sholto Byrnes on Myanmar politics
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MATCH INFO
Real Madrid 3 (Kroos 4', Ramos 30', Marcelo 37')
Eibar 1 (Bigas 60')
Sarfira
Director: Sudha Kongara Prasad
Starring: Akshay Kumar, Radhika Madan, Paresh Rawal
Rating: 2/5
Visit Abu Dhabi culinary team's top Emirati restaurants in Abu Dhabi
Yadoo’s House Restaurant & Cafe
For the karak and Yoodo's house platter with includes eggs, balaleet, khamir and chebab bread.
Golden Dallah
For the cappuccino, luqaimat and aseeda.
Al Mrzab Restaurant
For the shrimp murabian and Kuwaiti options including Kuwaiti machboos with kebab and spicy sauce.
Al Derwaza
For the fish hubul, regag bread, biryani and special seafood soup.
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%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDirector%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20James%20Wan%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarring%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Jason%20Mamoa%2C%20Patrick%20Wilson%2C%20Amber%20Heard%2C%20Yahya%20Abdul-Mateen%20II%C2%A0%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%202%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
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Explainer: Tanween Design Programme
Non-profit arts studio Tashkeel launched this annual initiative with the intention of supporting budding designers in the UAE. This year, three talents were chosen from hundreds of applicants to be a part of the sixth creative development programme. These are architect Abdulla Al Mulla, interior designer Lana El Samman and graphic designer Yara Habib.
The trio have been guided by experts from the industry over the course of nine months, as they developed their own products that merge their unique styles with traditional elements of Emirati design. This includes laboratory sessions, experimental and collaborative practice, investigation of new business models and evaluation.
It is led by British contemporary design project specialist Helen Voce and mentor Kevin Badni, and offers participants access to experts from across the world, including the likes of UK designer Gareth Neal and multidisciplinary designer and entrepreneur, Sheikh Salem Al Qassimi.
The final pieces are being revealed in a worldwide limited-edition release on the first day of Downtown Designs at Dubai Design Week 2019. Tashkeel will be at stand E31 at the exhibition.
Lisa Ball-Lechgar, deputy director of Tashkeel, said: “The diversity and calibre of the applicants this year … is reflective of the dynamic change that the UAE art and design industry is witnessing, with young creators resolute in making their bold design ideas a reality.”
What are NFTs?
Are non-fungible tokens a currency, asset, or a licensing instrument? Arnab Das, global market strategist EMEA at Invesco, says they are mix of all of three.
You can buy, hold and use NFTs just like US dollars and Bitcoins. “They can appreciate in value and even produce cash flows.”
However, while money is fungible, NFTs are not. “One Bitcoin, dollar, euro or dirham is largely indistinguishable from the next. Nothing ties a dollar bill to a particular owner, for example. Nor does it tie you to to any goods, services or assets you bought with that currency. In contrast, NFTs confer specific ownership,” Mr Das says.
This makes NFTs closer to a piece of intellectual property such as a work of art or licence, as you can claim royalties or profit by exchanging it at a higher value later, Mr Das says. “They could provide a sustainable income stream.”
This income will depend on future demand and use, which makes NFTs difficult to value. “However, there is a credible use case for many forms of intellectual property, notably art, songs, videos,” Mr Das says.
UAE gold medallists:
Omar Al Suweidi (46kg), Khaled Al Shehhi (50kg), Khalifa Humaid Al Kaabi (60kg), Omar Al Fadhli (62kg), Mohammed Ali Al Suweidi (66kg), Omar Ahmed Al Hosani (73), all in the U18’s, and Khalid Eskandar Al Blooshi (56kg) in the U21s.
Islamic%20Architecture%3A%20A%20World%20History
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EAuthor%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Eric%20Broug%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPublisher%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Thames%20%26amp%3B%20Hudson%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPages%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20336%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EAvailable%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20September%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Blackpink World Tour [Born Pink] In Cinemas
Starring: Rose, Jisoo, Jennie, Lisa
Directors: Min Geun, Oh Yoon-Dong
Rating: 3/5
Lexus LX700h specs
Engine: 3.4-litre twin-turbo V6 plus supplementary electric motor
Power: 464hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 790Nm from 2,000-3,600rpm
Transmission: 10-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 11.7L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh590,000
About Krews
Founder: Ahmed Al Qubaisi
Based: Abu Dhabi
Founded: January 2019
Number of employees: 10
Sector: Technology/Social media
Funding to date: Estimated $300,000 from Hub71 in-kind support
About Okadoc
Date started: Okadoc, 2018
Founder/CEO: Fodhil Benturquia
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: Healthcare
Size: (employees/revenue) 40 staff; undisclosed revenues recording “double-digit” monthly growth
Funding stage: Series B fundraising round to conclude in February
Investors: Undisclosed
More on Quran memorisation:
THREE POSSIBLE REPLACEMENTS
Khalfan Mubarak
The Al Jazira playmaker has for some time been tipped for stardom within UAE football, with Quique Sanchez Flores, his former manager at Al Ahli, once labelling him a “genius”. He was only 17. Now 23, Mubarak has developed into a crafty supplier of chances, evidenced by his seven assists in six league matches this season. Still to display his class at international level, though.
Rayan Yaslam
The Al Ain attacking midfielder has become a regular starter for his club in the past 15 months. Yaslam, 23, is a tidy and intelligent player, technically proficient with an eye for opening up defences. Developed while alongside Abdulrahman in the Al Ain first-team and has progressed well since manager Zoran Mamic’s arrival. However, made his UAE debut only last December.
Ismail Matar
The Al Wahda forward is revered by teammates and a key contributor to the squad. At 35, his best days are behind him, but Matar is incredibly experienced and an example to his colleagues. His ability to cope with tournament football is a concern, though, despite Matar beginning the season well. Not a like-for-like replacement, although the system could be adjusted to suit.
Our family matters legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
Studying addiction
This month, Dubai Medical College launched the Middle East’s first master's programme in addiction science.
Together with the Erada Centre for Treatment and Rehabilitation, the college offers a two-year master’s course as well as a one-year diploma in the same subject.
The move was announced earlier this year and is part of a new drive to combat drug abuse and increase the region’s capacity for treating drug addiction.
The specs: 2018 BMW R nineT Scrambler
Price, base / as tested Dh57,000
Engine 1,170cc air/oil-cooled flat twin four-stroke engine
Transmission Six-speed gearbox
Power 110hp) @ 7,750rpm
Torque 116Nm @ 6,000rpm
Fuel economy, combined 5.3L / 100km
The specs
Engine: 2-litre or 3-litre 4Motion all-wheel-drive Power: 250Nm (2-litre); 340 (3-litre) Torque: 450Nm Transmission: 8-speed automatic Starting price: From Dh212,000 On sale: Now
CRICKET%20WORLD%20CUP%20LEAGUE%202
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