Rory McIlroy acknowledged he was glad to have his nearest challengers for the Race to Dubai title within close view, after make a steady start to the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship on Thursday.
The Northern Irishman is in pole position in the order of merit as he bids to claim a sixth Harry Vardon Trophy. He leads by the best part of 1,600 points going into the final two events of the season.
By the terms of the new DP World Tour Play-offs, the leading three players will go out in the same match in the opening two rounds of the restricted field, 70-player event in Abu Dhabi.
As such, McIlroy was able to keep a track of any movements Thriston Lawrence, in second, and third-placed Rasmus Hojgaard were making.
The trio did not exactly match each other shot for shot over the opening 18 holes, but by the end of it you could more or less throw a blanket over them.
At the conclusion of Day 1, McIlroy and Lawrence were in a tie for 18th place after 5-under-par 67s, with Hojgaard a stroke ahead. All of which means, advantage McIlroy in the overall picture.
“I know that if I have a really good week this week, it makes my job a lot easier next week,” McIlroy said, looking ahead to the season finale at Jumeirah Golf Estates.
“Honestly, it's nice to be paired with Thriston and Rasmus because you can sort of keep an eye on what they are doing, as well.
“It’s been a really good year, very, very consistent. Started well with the win in Dubai [at the Desert Classic] and I've let a couple slip away as well.
“But I’ve had a great deal of consistency, and that’s the reason that I find myself in the place that I am. I wanted to come here to the Middle East these two weeks and finish the season off the way I felt it deserves to be finished off.”
Ahead of the tournament, Lawrence said he had not given up hope of overhauling McIlroy, although he suggested he would need two wins to do it.
After his 6-under-par opening round, Hojgaard said he was not losing focus because of the bigger picture.
“It’s a big challenge but these are two big events and a lot can happen,” Hojgaard said. “At the same time, [it is important to] just focus on my game.”
The race leaders will be the last match out on the second day at Yas Links on Friday. McIlroy, Lawrence and Hojgaard will be teeing it up at 11.50am.
What went into the film
25 visual effects (VFX) studios
2,150 VFX shots in a film with 2,500 shots
1,000 VFX artists
3,000 technicians
10 Concept artists, 25 3D designers
New sound technology, named 4D SRL
SPEC%20SHEET%3A%20APPLE%20IPHONE%2014%20PRO%20MAX
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Dubai World Cup prize money
Group 1 (Purebred Arabian) 2000m Dubai Kahayla Classic - $750,000
Group 2 1,600m(Dirt) Godolphin Mile - $750,000
Group 2 3,200m (Turf) Dubai Gold Cup – $750,000
Group 1 1,200m (Turf) Al Quoz Sprint – $1,000,000
Group 2 1,900m(Dirt) UAE Derby – $750,000
Group 1 1,200m (Dirt) Dubai Golden Shaheen – $1,500,000
Group 1 1,800m (Turf) Dubai Turf – $4,000,000
Group 1 2,410m (Turf) Dubai Sheema Classic – $5,000,000
Group 1 2,000m (Dirt) Dubai World Cup– $12,000,000
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League quarter-final, second leg (first-leg score):
Manchester City (0) v Tottenham Hotspur (1), Wednesday, 11pm UAE
Match is on BeIN Sports
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The specs: 2018 Mercedes-AMG C63 S Cabriolet
Price, base: Dh429,090
Engine 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8
Transmission Seven-speed automatic
Power 510hp @ 5,500rpm
Torque 700Nm @ 1,750rpm
Fuel economy, combined 9.2L / 100km
Scoreline
Abu Dhabi Harlequins 17
Jebel Ali Dragons 20
Harlequins Tries: Kinivilliame, Stevenson; Cons: Stevenson 2; Pen: Stevenson
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RESULT
Manchester United 2 Burnley 2
Man United: Lingard (53', 90' 1)
Burnley: Barnes (3'), Defour (36')
Man of the Match: Jesse Lingard (Manchester United)
The burning issue
The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE.
Read part four: an affection for classic cars lives on
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Farage on Muslim Brotherhood
Nigel Farage told Reform's annual conference that the party will proscribe the Muslim Brotherhood if he becomes Prime Minister.
"We will stop dangerous organisations with links to terrorism operating in our country," he said. "Quite why we've been so gutless about this – both Labour and Conservative – I don't know.
“All across the Middle East, countries have banned and proscribed the Muslim Brotherhood as a dangerous organisation. We will do the very same.”
It is 10 years since a ground-breaking report into the Muslim Brotherhood by Sir John Jenkins.
Among the former diplomat's findings was an assessment that “the use of extreme violence in the pursuit of the perfect Islamic society” has “never been institutionally disowned” by the movement.
The prime minister at the time, David Cameron, who commissioned the report, said membership or association with the Muslim Brotherhood was a "possible indicator of extremism" but it would not be banned.
The biog
Job: Fitness entrepreneur, body-builder and trainer
Favourite superhero: Batman
Favourite quote: We must become the change we want to see, by Mahatma Gandhi.
Favourite car: Lamborghini
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
The five pillars of Islam
