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.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Read more about the coronavirus
RESULTS
Bantamweight: Jalal Al Daaja (JOR) beat Hamza Bougamza (MAR)
Catchweight 67kg: Mohamed El Mesbahi (MAR) beat Fouad Mesdari (ALG)
Lightweight: Abdullah Mohammed Ali (UAE) beat Abdelhak Amhidra (MAR)
Catchweight 73kg: Mosatafa Ibrahim Radi (PAL) beat Yazid Chouchane (ALG)
Middleweight: Yousri Belgaroui (TUN) beat Badreddine Diani (MAR)
Catchweight 78KG: Rashed Dawood (UAE) beat Adnan Bushashy (ALG)
Middleweight: Sallah-Eddine Dekhissi (MAR) beat Abdel Enam (EGY)
Catchweight 65kg: Yanis Ghemmouri (ALG) beat Rachid Hazoume (MAR)
Lightweight: Mohammed Yahya (UAE) beat Azouz Anwar (EGY)
Catchweight 79kg: Souhil Tahiri (ALG) beat Omar Hussein (PAL)
Middleweight: Tarek Suleiman (SYR) beat Laid Zerhouni (ALG)
The specs
- Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
- Power: 640hp
- Torque: 760nm
- On sale: 2026
- Price: Not announced yet
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
More about Middle East geopolitics
LA LIGA FIXTURES
Thursday (All UAE kick-off times)
Sevilla v Real Betis (midnight)
Friday
Granada v Real Betis (9.30pm)
Valencia v Levante (midnight)
Saturday
Espanyol v Alaves (4pm)
Celta Vigo v Villarreal (7pm)
Leganes v Real Valladolid (9.30pm)
Mallorca v Barcelona (midnight)
Sunday
Atletic Bilbao v Atletico Madrid (4pm)
Real Madrid v Eibar (9.30pm)
Real Sociedad v Osasuna (midnight)
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
Ahmed Raza
UAE cricket captain
Age: 31
Born: Sharjah
Role: Left-arm spinner
One-day internationals: 31 matches, 35 wickets, average 31.4, economy rate 3.95
T20 internationals: 41 matches, 29 wickets, average 30.3, economy rate 6.28
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Tips for job-seekers
- Do not submit your application through the Easy Apply button on LinkedIn. Employers receive between 600 and 800 replies for each job advert on the platform. If you are the right fit for a job, connect to a relevant person in the company on LinkedIn and send them a direct message.
- Make sure you are an exact fit for the job advertised. If you are an HR manager with five years’ experience in retail and the job requires a similar candidate with five years’ experience in consumer, you should apply. But if you have no experience in HR, do not apply for the job.
David Mackenzie, founder of recruitment agency Mackenzie Jones Middle East
Why are asylum seekers being housed in hotels?
The number of asylum applications in the UK has reached a new record high, driven by those illegally entering the country in small boats crossing the English Channel.
A total of 111,084 people applied for asylum in the UK in the year to June 2025, the highest number for any 12-month period since current records began in 2001.
Asylum seekers and their families can be housed in temporary accommodation while their claim is assessed.
The Home Office provides the accommodation, meaning asylum seekers cannot choose where they live.
When there is not enough housing, the Home Office can move people to hotels or large sites like former military bases.
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%3Cp%3EDavid%20White%20might%20be%20new%20to%20the%20country%2C%20but%20he%20has%20clearly%20already%20built%20up%20an%20affinity%20with%20the%20place.%3Cbr%3E%3Cbr%3EAfter%20the%20UAE%20shocked%20Pakistan%20in%20the%20semi-final%20of%20the%20Under%2019%20Asia%20Cup%20last%20month%2C%20White%20was%20hugged%20on%20the%20field%20by%20Aayan%20Khan%2C%20the%20team%E2%80%99s%20captain.%3Cbr%3E%3Cbr%3EWhite%20suggests%20that%20was%20more%20a%20sign%20of%20Aayan%E2%80%99s%20amiability%20than%20anything%20else.%20But%20he%20believes%20the%20young%20all-rounder%2C%20who%20was%20part%20of%20the%20winning%20Gulf%20Giants%20team%20last%20year%2C%20is%20just%20the%20sort%20of%20player%20the%20country%20should%20be%20seeking%20to%20produce%20via%20the%20ILT20.%3Cbr%3E%3Cbr%3E%E2%80%9CHe%20is%20a%20delightful%20young%20man%2C%E2%80%9D%20White%20said.%20%E2%80%9CHe%20played%20in%20the%20competition%20last%20year%20at%2017%2C%20and%20look%20at%20his%20development%20from%20there%20till%20now%2C%20and%20where%20he%20is%20representing%20the%20UAE.%3Cbr%3E%3Cbr%3E%E2%80%9CHe%20was%20influential%20in%20the%20U19%20team%20which%20beat%20Pakistan.%20He%20is%20the%20perfect%20example%20of%20what%20we%20are%20all%20trying%20to%20achieve%20here.%3Cbr%3E%3Cbr%3E%E2%80%9CIt%20is%20about%20the%20development%20of%20players%20who%20are%20going%20to%20represent%20the%20UAE%20and%20go%20on%20to%20help%20make%20UAE%20a%20force%20in%20world%20cricket.%E2%80%9D%C2%A0%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
MOUNTAINHEAD REVIEW
Starring: Ramy Youssef, Steve Carell, Jason Schwartzman
Director: Jesse Armstrong
Rating: 3.5/5
LA LIGA FIXTURES
Thursday (All UAE kick-off times)
Sevilla v Real Betis (midnight)
Friday
Granada v Real Betis (9.30pm)
Valencia v Levante (midnight)
Saturday
Espanyol v Alaves (4pm)
Celta Vigo v Villarreal (7pm)
Leganes v Real Valladolid (9.30pm)
Mallorca v Barcelona (midnight)
Sunday
Atletic Bilbao v Atletico Madrid (4pm)
Real Madrid v Eibar (9.30pm)
Real Sociedad v Osasuna (midnight)
Our legal consultant
Name: Dr Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
EPL's youngest
- Ethan Nwaneri (Arsenal)
15 years, 181 days old
- Max Dowman (Arsenal)
15 years, 235 days old
- Jeremy Monga (Leicester)
15 years, 271 days old
- Harvey Elliott (Fulham)
16 years, 30 days old
- Matthew Briggs (Fulham)
16 years, 68 days old
Jeff Buckley: From Hallelujah To The Last Goodbye
By Dave Lory with Jim Irvin
Engine: 3.5-litre V6
Transmission: eight-speed automatic
Power: 290hp
Torque: 340Nm
Price: Dh155,800
On sale: now
Pharaoh's curse
British aristocrat Lord Carnarvon, who funded the expedition to find the Tutankhamun tomb, died in a Cairo hotel four months after the crypt was opened.
He had been in poor health for many years after a car crash, and a mosquito bite made worse by a shaving cut led to blood poisoning and pneumonia.
Reports at the time said Lord Carnarvon suffered from “pain as the inflammation affected the nasal passages and eyes”.
Decades later, scientists contended he had died of aspergillosis after inhaling spores of the fungus aspergillus in the tomb, which can lie dormant for months. The fact several others who entered were also found dead withiin a short time led to the myth of the curse.
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How to play the stock market recovery in 2021?
If you are looking to build your long-term wealth in 2021 and beyond, the stock market is still the best place to do it as equities powered on despite the pandemic.
Investing in individual stocks is not for everyone and most private investors should stick to mutual funds and ETFs, but there are some thrilling opportunities for those who understand the risks.
Peter Garnry, head of equity strategy at Saxo Bank, says the 20 best-performing US and European stocks have delivered an average return year-to-date of 148 per cent, measured in local currency terms.
Online marketplace Etsy was the best performer with a return of 330.6 per cent, followed by communications software company Sinch (315.4 per cent), online supermarket HelloFresh (232.8 per cent) and fuel cells specialist NEL (191.7 per cent).
Mr Garnry says digital companies benefited from the lockdown, while green energy firms flew as efforts to combat climate change were ramped up, helped in part by the European Union’s green deal.
Electric car company Tesla would be on the list if it had been part of the S&P 500 Index, but it only joined on December 21. “Tesla has become one of the most valuable companies in the world this year as demand for electric vehicles has grown dramatically,” Mr Garnry says.
By contrast, the 20 worst-performing European stocks fell 54 per cent on average, with European banks hit by the economic fallout from the pandemic, while cruise liners and airline stocks suffered due to travel restrictions.
As demand for energy fell, the oil and gas industry had a tough year, too.
Mr Garnry says the biggest story this year was the “absolute crunch” in so-called value stocks, companies that trade at low valuations compared to their earnings and growth potential.
He says they are “heavily tilted towards financials, miners, energy, utilities and industrials, which have all been hit hard by the Covid-19 pandemic”. “The last year saw these cheap stocks become cheaper and expensive stocks have become more expensive.”
This has triggered excited talk about the “great value rotation” but Mr Garnry remains sceptical. “We need to see a breakout of interest rates combined with higher inflation before we join the crowd.”
Always remember that past performance is not a guarantee of future returns. Last year’s winners often turn out to be this year’s losers, and vice-versa.
Dhadak 2
Director: Shazia Iqbal
Starring: Siddhant Chaturvedi, Triptii Dimri
Rating: 1/5
Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week
The specs: 2018 Nissan Altima
Price, base / as tested: Dh78,000 / Dh97,650
Engine: 2.5-litre in-line four-cylinder
Power: 182hp @ 6,000rpm
Torque: 244Nm @ 4,000rpm
Transmission: Continuously variable tranmission
Fuel consumption, combined: 7.6L / 100km
The%20specs
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Race card
6.30pm: Al Maktoum Challenge Round-3 Group 1 (PA) US$100,000 (Dirt) 2,000m
7.05pm: Meydan Classic Listed (TB) $175,000 (Turf) 1,600m
7.40pm: Handicap (TB) $135,000 (T) 2,000m
8.15pm: Handicap (TB) $135,000 (D) 1,600m
8.50pm: Nad Al Sheba Trophy Group 2 (TB) $300,000 (T) 2,810m
9.25pm: Curlin Stakes Listed (TB) $175,000 (D) 2,000m
10pm: Handicap (TB) $135,000 (T) 2,000m
10.35pm: Handicap (TB) $175,000 (T) 1,400m
The National selections
6.30pm: Shahm, 7.05pm: Well Of Wisdom, 7.40pm: Lucius Tiberius, 8.15pm: Captain Von Trapp, 8.50pm: Secret Advisor, 9.25pm: George Villiers, 10pm: American Graffiti, 10.35pm: On The Warpath
Miss Granny
Director: Joyce Bernal
Starring: Sarah Geronimo, James Reid, Xian Lim, Nova Villa
3/5
(Tagalog with Eng/Ar subtitles)
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Ferrari 12Cilindri specs
Engine: naturally aspirated 6.5-liter V12
Power: 819hp
Torque: 678Nm at 7,250rpm
Price: From Dh1,700,000
Available: Now
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Zayed Sustainability Prize
