Rory McIlroy has conquered many golf courses and tournaments around the world. However, success at Augusta National Golf Club and The Masters has somehow eluded him.
The world No 2 may not show it, but it does bother him. For instance, he is well aware of the record that two recent Hero Dubai Desert Classic champions have gone on to win The Masters the same year.
Asked if he has done things differently this year as he tries to complete his career grand slam, McIlroy said: “Obviously, I played in Dubai at the start of the year, and that’s actually been a pretty happy hunting ground for a future Masters Champion.
“I think Danny Willett won the Dubai Desert Classic in 2016 and won the Masters, and I think Sergio won it in 2017 and went on to win the Masters. It would be nice to emulate them.”
Not that McIlroy is doubting his own talent, or clutching at straws. But it is rare for him to be looking at coincidences.
A little later, McIlroy was asked if he was surprised that despite experts thinking his game was tailor-made for Augusta National, he hasn’t succeeded here yet.
“But they said the same thing about Ernie Els and Greg Norman,” countered McIlroy.
“Just because a place is deemed to be perfectly set up for your game, it doesn’t automatically mean that you’re going to win it one day. There’s more to it than that. There have also been players that you would think this golf course wouldn’t set up well for, and they have won a green jacket.
“It’s a factor and it's nice to know that I come back to this place every year and that if I played the way I know I can, then I should have a good chance. I know if I can get myself in with a chance to win, then those last couple hours on Sunday, it’s not about whether the course sets up well for you. It’s about who can hold it together the best.”
His second-place finish last year, and especially the final-round course record-equalling 64 that included the spectacular birdie from the greenside bunker on the 72nd hole, is something that has the potential to propel him forward and go one better this year.
“The last time this tournament was played, I walked away from the course and the tournament pretty happy with myself,” said McIlroy, who revealed he came and played the golf course several times over the past one month.
“With that round, I proved to myself that I could do it. As much as I didn’t really get into contention (because of Scottie Scheffler’s big lead), there was a part of me on that back nine that felt that I had a chance, and to play the way I did, in my mind it felt like it was a breakthrough.
“I feel like I’ve got all the ingredients. It’s just about putting them all together over the next four days.”
It seems impossible these days that a McIlroy press conference won’t involve questions on LIV Golf. He has assumed the role of a spokesperson for the PGA Tour in the fight, and there was the famous incident in Dubai when he refused to acknowledge the presence of Patrick Reed at the driving range.
Revealing that he was playing nine holes with LIV Invitational – Florida champion Brooks Koepka, McIlroy said: “I see some of these guys at home, I see Brooks a lot, I see Dustin (Johnson) a lot, we sort of practice at the same place.
“I think the more face time you get with some people, the more comfortable you become. It’s a very nuanced situation and there are different dynamics. It’s okay to get on with Brooks and DJ and maybe not get on with some other guys that went to LIV. It’s interpersonal relationships.
“But this week and this tournament is way bigger than any of that and it’s just great that all of the best players in the world are together again for the first time in what seems to be quite a while.”
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COMPANY%20PROFILE
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Infiniti QX80 specs
Engine: twin-turbocharged 3.5-liter V6
Power: 450hp
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Expo details
Expo 2020 Dubai will be the first World Expo to be held in the Middle East, Africa and South Asia
The world fair will run for six months from October 20, 2020 to April 10, 2021.
It is expected to attract 25 million visits
Some 70 per cent visitors are projected to come from outside the UAE, the largest proportion of international visitors in the 167-year history of World Expos.
More than 30,000 volunteers are required for Expo 2020
The site covers a total of 4.38 sqkm, including a 2 sqkm gated area
It is located adjacent to Al Maktoum International Airport in Dubai South
Hotel Silence
Auður Ava Ólafsdóttir
Pushkin Press
Racecard
6.30pm: Mazrat Al Ruwayah Group Two (PA) US$55,000 (Dirt) 1,600m
7.05pm: Meydan Trophy (TB) $100,000 (Turf) 1,900m
7.40pm: Handicap (TB) $135,000 (D) 1,200m
8.15pm: Balanchine Group Two (TB) $250,000 (T) 1,800m
8.50pm: Handicap (TB) $135,000 (T) 1,000m
9.25pm: Firebreak Stakes Group Three (TB) $200,000 (D) 1,600m
10pm: Handicap (TB) $175,000 (T) 2,410m
The National selections: 6.30pm: RM Lam Tara, 7.05pm: Al Mukhtar Star, 7.40pm: Bochart, 8.15pm: Magic Lily, 8.50pm: Roulston Scar, 9.25pm: Quip, 10pm: Jalmoud
FULL%20RESULTS
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SUZUME
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Have you been targeted?
Tuan Phan of SimplyFI.org lists five signs you have been mis-sold to:
1. Your pension fund has been placed inside an offshore insurance wrapper with a hefty upfront commission.
2. The money has been transferred into a structured note. These products have high upfront, recurring commission and should never be in a pension account.
3. You have also been sold investment funds with an upfront initial charge of around 5 per cent. ETFs, for example, have no upfront charges.
4. The adviser charges a 1 per cent charge for managing your assets. They are being paid for doing nothing. They have already claimed massive amounts in hidden upfront commission.
5. Total annual management cost for your pension account is 2 per cent or more, including platform, underlying fund and advice charges.
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
UAE - India ties
The UAE is India’s third-largest trade partner after the US and China
Annual bilateral trade between India and the UAE has crossed US$ 60 billion
The UAE is the fourth-largest exporter of crude oil for India
Indians comprise the largest community with 3.3 million residents in the UAE
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi first visited the UAE in August 2015
His visit on August 23-24 will be the third in four years
Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces, visited India in February 2016
Sheikh Mohamed was the chief guest at India’s Republic Day celebrations in January 2017
Modi will visit Bahrain on August 24-25
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Killing of Qassem Suleimani
BIGGEST CYBER SECURITY INCIDENTS IN RECENT TIMES
SolarWinds supply chain attack: Came to light in December 2020 but had taken root for several months, compromising major tech companies, governments and its entities
Microsoft Exchange server exploitation: March 2021; attackers used a vulnerability to steal emails
Kaseya attack: July 2021; ransomware hit perpetrated REvil, resulting in severe downtime for more than 1,000 companies
Log4j breach: December 2021; attackers exploited the Java-written code to inflitrate businesses and governments
Checks continue
A High Court judge issued an interim order on Friday suspending a decision by Agriculture Minister Edwin Poots to direct a stop to Brexit agri-food checks at Northern Ireland ports.
Mr Justice Colton said he was making the temporary direction until a judicial review of the minister's unilateral action this week to order a halt to port checks that are required under the Northern Ireland Protocol.
Civil servants have yet to implement the instruction, pending legal clarity on their obligations, and checks are continuing.
Details
Through Her Lens: The stories behind the photography of Eva Sereny
Forewords by Jacqueline Bisset and Charlotte Rampling, ACC Art Books
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Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Global Fungi Facts
• Scientists estimate there could be as many as 3 million fungal species globally
• Only about 160,000 have been officially described leaving around 90% undiscovered
• Fungi account for roughly 90% of Earth's unknown biodiversity
• Forest fungi help tackle climate change, absorbing up to 36% of global fossil fuel emissions annually and storing around 5 billion tonnes of carbon in the planet's topsoil
MOUNTAINHEAD REVIEW
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GAC GS8 Specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
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Torque: 400Nm at 1,750-4,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 9.1L/100km
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Graduated from the American University of Sharjah
She is the eldest of three brothers and two sisters
Has helped solve 15 cases of electric shocks
Enjoys travelling, reading and horse riding
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League final:
Who: Real Madrid v Liverpool
Where: NSC Olimpiyskiy Stadium, Kiev, Ukraine
When: Saturday, May 26, 10.45pm (UAE)
TV: Match on BeIN Sports
Ultra processed foods
- Carbonated drinks, sweet or savoury packaged snacks, confectionery, mass-produced packaged breads and buns
- margarines and spreads; cookies, biscuits, pastries, cakes, and cake mixes, breakfast cereals, cereal and energy bars;
- energy drinks, milk drinks, fruit yoghurts and fruit drinks, cocoa drinks, meat and chicken extracts and instant sauces
- infant formulas and follow-on milks, health and slimming products such as powdered or fortified meal and dish substitutes,
- many ready-to-heat products including pre-prepared pies and pasta and pizza dishes, poultry and fish nuggets and sticks, sausages, burgers, hot dogs, and other reconstituted meat products, powdered and packaged instant soups, noodles and desserts.
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
COMPANY PROFILE
● Company: Bidzi
● Started: 2024
● Founders: Akshay Dosaj and Asif Rashid
● Based: Dubai, UAE
● Industry: M&A
● Funding size: Bootstrapped
● No of employees: Nine
'Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore'
Rating: 3/5
Directed by: David Yates
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