For the second time in four days, Tommy Fleetwood wrapped Aaron Rai in a bearhug at the end of a round of golf, and both players broke into broad smiles.
As they embraced on the 18th at Earth Course at the culmination of the first day of the DP World Tour Championship, Rai was moved to laughter – even though his day had been a tough one.
Rai carded a 1-over-par 73, leaving him languishing in 43rd out of 52 in the season finale at Jumeirah Golf Estates. Fleetwood, for his part, was eight shots better off, on 7-under, one shy of the Day 1 leader, Michael Kim.
It is unlikely Rai will lose too much sleep over it, given he is still basking in the glow of winning a cool $1.5 million as well as the Falcon Trophy in Abu Dhabi at the weekend.
But the giggles were telling. Maybe Fleetwood had told him he was nipping off to the loo.
It was a coincidence the two players had been paired together. Ahead of the start of championship, Fleetwood had had to defend himself against accusations of gamesmanship against Rai.
He had attracted criticism for delaying the start of the play-off that decided the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship on Sunday.
When quizzed about it on Tuesday, he pointed out that he had urgently needed a toilet break – hence heading into the clubhouse – and that Rai beat him anyway.
For a player commonly referred to as one of the most amiable on tour – not least with Rai, who could scarcely be more fulsome in his praise of Fleetwood – it was a shock.
The controversy, such as it was, was hardly a distraction for the Englishman. Fleetwood fired seven birdies – including five in the space of six holes at the start of the back nine, to position himself perfectly at the start of the championship.
It was the latest show of class from a player who is in the form of his life. Having won in the United States and India recently, he moved up to No 4 in the world after finishing second in Abu Dhabi.
“I'm on a really great run at the moment,” Fleetwood said. “My results have been really good. But I really think it's consistency of hard work in all areas. I'm very lucky with having great information from great people that are around me.
“We’ve been chipping away for a long time. We've played very consistently for a long time and now we're just having a great run.
“Hopefully it's not just a great run and this is how I play golf, but we've got to see what happens in the future.
“I am always trying to consistently improve day in, day out, no matter how little that step may be. Every now and again, you get lucky and it shows.”
It helps when it is your home track. Fleetwood has called Dubai home for some while now, and he has academies both there and in Abu Dhabi.
“It's been a dream of mine to have academies to bring the game of golf to as many people as possible,” Fleetwood said.
“I've lived at the elite end of the game for a long time, from a young age. I want to help people strive for their dreams in the game, and I want to help people get into the game and see the beauty of it.
“I'm very lucky that my name is on it, but I'm also very blessed with the people and the partners that are involved in that and we'll continue to try to grow.”
While Fleetwood is one shot in arrears of Kim, both will be wary of the fact Rory McIlroy is just one stroke further back on 6-under.
The Northern Irishman now appears certain to claim a seventh Race to Dubai title after his playing partner, Marco Pange, suffered a rare off day.
Penge needs to win the tournament to leapfrog McIlroy and win the order of merit, but was eight shots worse off than his playing partner of Day 1.
While it was an impressive round on the Earth Course for McIlroy, he felt it could have been even better.
“I don't want to sound like I'm that disappointed but I feel like I left a few out there; I missed a couple of short ones,” McIlroy said.
“Overall, it was a really solid start on a golf course that I'm very comfortable on and historically I've played very well on.”
Expert advice
“Join in with a group like Cycle Safe Dubai or TrainYAS, where you’ll meet like-minded people and always have support on hand.”
Stewart Howison, co-founder of Cycle Safe Dubai and owner of Revolution Cycles
“When you sweat a lot, you lose a lot of salt and other electrolytes from your body. If your electrolytes drop enough, you will be at risk of cramping. To prevent salt deficiency, simply add an electrolyte mix to your water.”
Cornelia Gloor, head of RAK Hospital’s Rehabilitation and Physiotherapy Centre
“Don’t make the mistake of thinking you can ride as fast or as far during the summer as you do in cooler weather. The heat will make you expend more energy to maintain a speed that might normally be comfortable, so pace yourself when riding during the hotter parts of the day.”
Chandrashekar Nandi, physiotherapist at Burjeel Hospital in Dubai
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Tips for newlyweds to better manage finances
All couples are unique and have to create a financial blueprint that is most suitable for their relationship, says Vijay Valecha, chief investment officer at Century Financial. He offers his top five tips for couples to better manage their finances.
Discuss your assets and debts: When married, it’s important to understand each other’s personal financial situation. It’s necessary to know upfront what each party brings to the table, as debts and assets affect spending habits and joint loan qualifications. Discussing all aspects of their finances as a couple prevents anyone from being blindsided later.
Decide on the financial/saving goals: Spouses should independently list their top goals and share their lists with one another to shape a joint plan. Writing down clear goals will help them determine how much to save each month, how much to put aside for short-term goals, and how they will reach their long-term financial goals.
Set a budget: A budget can keep the couple be mindful of their income and expenses. With a monthly budget, couples will know exactly how much they can spend in a category each month, how much they have to work with and what spending areas need to be evaluated.
Decide who manages what: When it comes to handling finances, it’s a good idea to decide who manages what. For example, one person might take on the day-to-day bills, while the other tackles long-term investments and retirement plans.
Money date nights: Talking about money should be a healthy, ongoing conversation and couples should not wait for something to go wrong. They should set time aside every month to talk about future financial decisions and see the progress they’ve made together towards accomplishing their goals.
Disposing of non-recycleable masks
Use your ‘black bag’ bin at home
Do not put them in a recycling bin
Take them home with you if there is no litter bin
- No need to bag the mask
Black Panther
Dir: Ryan Coogler
Starring: Chadwick Boseman, Michael B Jordan, Lupita Nyong'o
Five stars
The specs: 2018 Volkswagen Teramont
Price, base / as tested Dh137,000 / Dh189,950
Engine 3.6-litre V6
Gearbox Eight-speed automatic
Power 280hp @ 6,200rpm
Torque 360Nm @ 2,750rpm
Fuel economy, combined 11.7L / 100km
Specs
Engine: Duel electric motors
Power: 659hp
Torque: 1075Nm
On sale: Available for pre-order now
Price: On request
RESULT
Bayern Munich 5 Eintrracht Frankfurt 2
Bayern: Goretzka (17'), Müller (41'), Lewandowski (46'), Davies (61'), Hinteregger (74' og)
Frankfurt: Hinteregger (52', 55')
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Zayed Sustainability Prize
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Kumulus Water
Started: 2021
Founders: Iheb Triki and Mohamed Ali Abid
Based: Tunisia
Sector: Water technology
Number of staff: 22
Investment raised: $4 million
How much of your income do you need to save?
The more you save, the sooner you can retire. Tuan Phan, a board member of SimplyFI.com, says if you save just 5 per cent of your salary, you can expect to work for another 66 years before you are able to retire without too large a drop in income.
In other words, you will not save enough to retire comfortably. If you save 15 per cent, you can forward to another 43 working years. Up that to 40 per cent of your income, and your remaining working life drops to just 22 years. (see table)
Obviously, this is only a rough guide. How much you save will depend on variables, not least your salary and how much you already have in your pension pot. But it shows what you need to do to achieve financial independence.
The specs
Engine: 3.0-litre six-cylinder turbo
Power: 398hp from 5,250rpm
Torque: 580Nm at 1,900-4,800rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed auto
Fuel economy, combined: 6.5L/100km
On sale: December
Price: From Dh330,000 (estimate)
Third Test
Day 3, stumps
India 443-7 (d) & 54-5 (27 ov)
Australia 151
India lead by 346 runs with 5 wickets remaining
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
