The British Open returns this week after a 24-month hiatus, as the golf’s oldest major plays out at Royal St George’s on the southeast coast of England. Here are some of the main talking points heading into Thursday’s first round in Sandwich, Kent.
Can Rahm, still the top dog, go back-to-back?
Granted, the vagaries of the world rankings mean Jon Rahm was relegated on Monday to No 2 in the standings – Dustin Johnson returned to top spot – but the hugely talented Spaniard remains without doubt the man to beat this week.
Rahm responded incredibly to his positive Covid-19 test at the Memorial last month, when he was seemingly cruising to victory, by a memorable victory on his following start at the US Open, no less. He reeled off brilliant birdies on 17 and 18 at Torrey Pines to prevail by one shot and become a major champion for the first time.
Subsequently, he arrived in Sandwich seeking a second major on the bounce - and did so in fine fettle having finished seventh at the Scottish Open on Sunday. Rahm enters the Open as an overwhelming favourite and could conclude the event as the first man since Tiger Woods in 2000 to capture the US Open and the Claret Jug in the same year.
This represents Rahm’s fifth Open, his best result being his most recent appearance in the tournament - 11th at Royal Portrush in 2019. In form and supremely gifted, he seems certain to at least improve on that.
Which McIlroy will show in Sandwich?
Rory McIlroy’s preparation has been far from perfect. The world No 11 landed in Ireland a couple of weeks ago to get ready for the Open, but returned a tied-59th at the Irish Open and then a missed cut at the Scottish.
Out in the first two rounds with Rahm and Justin Thomas, McIlroy concluded the halfway mark 10 shots and seven shots, respectively, behind his playing partners. So, hardly the best of form as he bids to break a seven-year major drought.
There are reasons for McIlroy’s inconsistency: the four-time major winner in still in the early stages of working with renowned swing coach Pete Cowan and, although he has since won the Wells Fargo Championship – his first victory in 18 months – he remains a work in progress.
Still, seven years without a major is far too long with someone of McIlroy’s calibre. But beware: according to lead golf stats-man Justin Ray, in eight of the past nine times McIlroy has missed a cut, he’s responded with a top-20 finish. In three of those instances, he won the next week.
Taking that into account, and considering his almost-unparalleled talent, the 2014 Open champion cannot be ruled out.
Will Royal St George’s produce another shock winner?
So, the 2003 champion in Sandwich? Step forward rank-outsider Ben Curtis. The American did not figure high on nearly anyone’s list to walk away with the Claret Jug 18 years ago, since he sat 396th in the world standings. What’s more, Curtis was contesting his first major, and had never before played British links golf.
However, it soon morphed into his first victory on any main tour. Then, in 2011 – the last time the Open took place at Royal St George’s – Darren Clarke triumphed, ending his long search for a major crown.
His hunt had halted at the 54th attempt. Aged 42, Clarke began the week ranked 111th in the global standings. It remains his last success on either of golf’s lead circuits.
All that considered, will we get another surprise victor this week? The stats since don’t really support that: from later in 2011 to this year, every major was won by a player sitting inside the top 50 until Phil Mickelson (No 115) secured the US PGA Championship at Kiawah Island this May.
Sure, normal service was restored by Rahm at the US Open, but Royal St George’s has proved it can conjure the unexpected.
Who will boost their Ryder Cup credentials?
It seems barely believable, but the Ryder Cup is only 10 weeks away. Postponed last year as the coronavirus pandemic took grip, the biennial battle between Europe and the United States will be staged, finally, at Whistling Straits from September 24-26.
This week therefore marks the last major chance for those on the fringe to make a strong case for inclusion. For the Europeans, cup veterans such as Sergio Garcia, Justin Rose, Ian Poulter and Henrik Stenson are well outside the automatic qualification spots – captain Padraig Harrington has three wild-card picks – while Shane Lowry, the defending Open champion, might need to eventually lean on his close friendship with the skipper.
Europe, remember, hold the trophy. On the American side, where only six qualify automatically, there’s a cabal of contenders clamouring for points to negate the need for a captain’s pick from Steve Stricker.
Among those are previous stalwarts Jordan Spieth, Patrick Reed, Phil Mickelson and Webb Simpson. Not to mention a new generation of talented players – Patrick Cantlay and Scottie Scheffler, for example - breathing down their necks. Therefore, victory this week, in the season’s closing major, could render redundant a wild-card pick on either side.
Could Covid-19 take bigger toll on the field?
Considering where we are in the world, this year’s Open is like no other. While the PGA Tour continues to work back towards life pre-Covid, the European Tour has stuck steadfast to its stricter regulations in relation to the pandemic.
It has led to some discontent among players, but safety is patently paramount. The R&A, taking their cue from the UK government, have determined that anyone who comes into contact with a positive Covid-19 case will have to sit out the tournament. And, during tournament week, the players must remain in what organisers hope to be a tight “bubble”.
Already, several high-profile names have withdrawn from the event. Reigning Masters champion Hideki Matsuyama is out, as too is 2015 Open champion Zach Johnson, after both returned positive tests.
Bubba Watson, two-time winner of the Masters, cannot play also since he was identified as a close contact of someone who tested positive.
In all, 17 players who qualified to compete for the Claret Jug won’t be in the field. The Open is, for many, the game’s lead tournament – the Masters its only true rival – so it’s strange to hear of so many pull-outs. The hope is that number this week stays capped at 17.
CREW
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The specs: Aston Martin DB11 V8 vs Ferrari GTC4Lusso T
Price, base: Dh840,000; Dh120,000
Engine: 4.0L V8 twin-turbo; 3.9L V8 turbo
Transmission: Eight-speed automatic; seven-speed automatic
Power: 509hp @ 6,000rpm; 601hp @ 7,500rpm
Torque: 695Nm @ 2,000rpm; 760Nm @ 3,000rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 9.9L / 100km; 11.6L / 100km
In Full Flight: A Story of Africa and Atonement
John Heminway, Knopff
Naga
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The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre, twin-turbocharged V8
Transmission: nine-speed automatic
Power: 630bhp
Torque: 900Nm
Price: Dh810,000
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Quick pearls of wisdom
Focus on gratitude: And do so deeply, he says. “Think of one to three things a day that you’re grateful for. It needs to be specific, too, don’t just say ‘air.’ Really think about it. If you’re grateful for, say, what your parents have done for you, that will motivate you to do more for the world.”
Know how to fight: Shetty married his wife, Radhi, three years ago (he met her in a meditation class before he went off and became a monk). He says they’ve had to learn to respect each other’s “fighting styles” – he’s a talk it-out-immediately person, while she needs space to think. “When you’re having an argument, remember, it’s not you against each other. It’s both of you against the problem. When you win, they lose. If you’re on a team you have to win together.”
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Heavily-sugared soft drinks slip through the tax net
Some popular drinks with high levels of sugar and caffeine have slipped through the fizz drink tax loophole, as they are not carbonated or classed as an energy drink.
Arizona Iced Tea with lemon is one of those beverages, with one 240 millilitre serving offering up 23 grams of sugar - about six teaspoons.
A 680ml can of Arizona Iced Tea costs just Dh6.
Most sports drinks sold in supermarkets were found to contain, on average, five teaspoons of sugar in a 500ml bottle.
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SHOW COURTS ORDER OF PLAY
Wimbledon order of play on Tuesday, July 11
All times UAE ( 4 GMT)
Centre Court
Adrian Mannarino v Novak Djokovic (2)
Venus Williams (10) v Jelena Ostapenko (13)
Johanna Konta (6) v Simona Halep (2)
Court 1
Garbine Muguruza (14) v
Svetlana Kuznetsova (7)
Magdalena Rybarikova v Coco Vandeweghe (24)
Brief scoreline:
Al Wahda 2
Al Menhali 27', Tagliabue 79'
Al Nassr 3
Hamdallah 41', Giuliano 45 1', 62'
CONFIRMED%20LINE-UP
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'Gehraiyaan'
Director:Shakun Batra
Stars:Deepika Padukone, Siddhant Chaturvedi, Ananya Panday, Dhairya Karwa
Rating: 4/5
Red flags
- Promises of high, fixed or 'guaranteed' returns.
- Unregulated structured products or complex investments often used to bypass traditional safeguards.
- Lack of clear information, vague language, no access to audited financials.
- Overseas companies targeting investors in other jurisdictions - this can make legal recovery difficult.
- Hard-selling tactics - creating urgency, offering 'exclusive' deals.
Courtesy: Carol Glynn, founder of Conscious Finance Coaching
The specs
Engine: 3.8-litre, twin-turbo V8
Transmission: eight-speed automatic
Power: 582bhp
Torque: 730Nm
Price: Dh649,000
On sale: now
Blackpink World Tour [Born Pink] In Cinemas
Starring: Rose, Jisoo, Jennie, Lisa
Directors: Min Geun, Oh Yoon-Dong
Rating: 3/5
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What is safeguarding?
“Safeguarding, not just in sport, but in all walks of life, is making sure that policies are put in place that make sure your child is safe; when they attend a football club, a tennis club, that there are welfare officers at clubs who are qualified to a standard to make sure your child is safe in that environment,” Derek Bell explains.
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Dark Souls: Remastered
Developer: From Software (remaster by QLOC)
Publisher: Namco Bandai
Price: Dh199
GOLF’S RAHMBO
- 5 wins in 22 months as pro
- Three wins in past 10 starts
- 45 pro starts worldwide: 5 wins, 17 top 5s
- Ranked 551th in world on debut, now No 4 (was No 2 earlier this year)
- 5th player in last 30 years to win 3 European Tour and 2 PGA Tour titles before age 24 (Woods, Garcia, McIlroy, Spieth)
Gothia Cup 2025
4,872 matches
1,942 teams
116 pitches
76 nations
26 UAE teams
15 Lebanese teams
2 Kuwaiti teams
How tumultuous protests grew
- A fuel tax protest by French drivers appealed to wider anti-government sentiment
- Unlike previous French demonstrations there was no trade union or organised movement involved
- Demonstrators responded to online petitions and flooded squares to block traffic
- At its height there were almost 300,000 on the streets in support
- Named after the high visibility jackets that drivers must keep in cars
- Clashes soon turned violent as thousands fought with police at cordons
- An estimated two dozen people lost eyes and many others were admitted to hospital
Specs
Engine: Dual-motor all-wheel-drive electric
Range: Up to 610km
Power: 905hp
Torque: 985Nm
Price: From Dh439,000
Available: Now
UAE squad
Esha Oza (captain), Al Maseera Jahangir, Emily Thomas, Heena Hotchandani, Indhuja Nandakumar, Katie Thompson, Lavanya Keny, Mehak Thakur, Michelle Botha, Rinitha Rajith, Samaira Dharnidharka, Siya Gokhale, Sashikala Silva, Suraksha Kotte, Theertha Satish (wicketkeeper) Udeni Kuruppuarachchige, Vaishnave Mahesh.
UAE tour of Zimbabwe
All matches in Bulawayo
Friday, Sept 26 – First ODI
Sunday, Sept 28 – Second ODI
Tuesday, Sept 30 – Third ODI
Thursday, Oct 2 – Fourth ODI
Sunday, Oct 5 – First T20I
Monday, Oct 6 – Second T20I
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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MATCH INFO
Fixture: Ukraine v Portugal, Monday, 10.45pm (UAE)
TV: BeIN Sports
Our legal advisor
Ahmad El Sayed is Senior Associate at Charles Russell Speechlys, a law firm headquartered in London with offices in the UK, Europe, the Middle East and Hong Kong.
Experience: Commercial litigator who has assisted clients with overseas judgments before UAE courts. His specialties are cases related to banking, real estate, shareholder disputes, company liquidations and criminal matters as well as employment related litigation.
Education: Sagesse University, Beirut, Lebanon, in 2005.
