Buying birthday presents for the world’s elite golfers must be a fraught business. Such are the rewards lavished on those at the top end of the sport, most must want for nothing.
Pity, then, the family and friends of Thomas Pieters. Whatever they have planned for him turning 30 this week, it is going to struggle to match the new ornament he earned for himself in Abu Dhabi on Sunday.
Maybe they could buy him a new trophy cabinet. One that is large and sturdy enough to house the sparkling Falcon Trophy he landed as the winner of the 2022 Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship.
In his final round at Yas Links, he made one birdie, one bogey, and all the rest pars. All of which was good enough for a 10-under par total for the tournament, and a one-stroke win over Rafa Cabrera-Bello and Subhankar Sharma.
Shortly after he tapped in for par at 18 to clinch victory, a band started playing in the Championship Village, and the strains of Alphaville’s Forever Young were drifting across the fairways.
Thursday, when he will be teeing it up on the opening day of the Slync.io Dubai Desert Classic, is Pieters’ 30th birthday.
That remains no age in golf. It is, though, a reminder that the idea Pieters is a coming talent of the game is outdated.
This win was confirmation he was back on the upward curve after the rapid ascent of his early years in the game had been slowed.
“I kind of disappeared for a couple years I guess,” Pieters said. “[Now I’m] happy to be back.”
Victory vaulted him back into the world’s top 35, much to his delight. “Honestly, it's everything,” he said.
“As a golfer, the top 50 is your strive point, and when I jumped out maybe three years ago, I took it badly, but I’m happy to be back again.”
It was his sixth win in all on the DP World Tour, a second title in his past three starts, and, in so doing he became the first Belgian winner on the Rolex Series.
“I just hope all the juniors back home are watching this,” Pieters said.
“I used to watch as a kid and think it's impossible for me. But then when Nico [Coelsarts] came on the scene and started winning, it's stuff like that that inspires kids. Hopefully I can do that back home.
“I feel like I've turned the corner and playing really good golf. I'm really in control of my ball flight. It's nice to feel like that and making putts as well. My putting has improved massively and I felt like that's the thing that really kept me going on the weekend.”
With four holes to play, Cabrera-Bello – in the penultimate match - had held the joint lead with Pieters, who was playing in the final group.
Back-to-back bogeys eventually counted him out, but the Spaniard still professed himself satisfied with his week’s work.
“I put a lot of hard work in the off-season and I am really happy it's paid off,” Cabrera Bello said.
“I'm not happy with my current world ranking [he started the tournament 161st]. I think I can play better and obviously I'm working hard to get back into the top 50 in the world, and this week is going to give me lots confidence towards that goal.”
Sharma, who birdied the last to ensure he shared second place with his playing partner Cabrera-Bello, was equally delighted with his endeavours over the links.
“It was very important and it just gives me a lot of confidence going forward into the season,” Sharma said.
“Some of the top players in the world were here this week, and gives me a lot confidence that I can finish high up on the leaderboard and compete with them. There's so much to look forward to now.”
Emiratisation at work
Emiratisation was introduced in the UAE more than 10 years ago
It aims to boost the number of citizens in the workforce particularly in the private sector.
Growing the number of Emiratis in the workplace will help the UAE reduce dependence on overseas workers
The Cabinet in December last year, approved a national fund for Emirati jobseekers and guaranteed citizens working in the private sector a comparable pension
President Sheikh Khalifa has described Emiratisation as “a true measure for success”.
During the UAE’s 48th National Day, Sheikh Khalifa named education, entrepreneurship, Emiratisation and space travel among cornerstones of national development
More than 80 per cent of Emiratis work in the federal or local government as per 2017 statistics
The Emiratisation programme includes the creation of 20,000 new jobs for UAE citizens
UAE citizens will be given priority in managerial positions in the government sphere
The purpose is to raise the contribution of UAE nationals in the job market and create a diverse workforce of citizens
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
RESULTS
1.30pm Handicap (PA) Dh 50,000 (Dirt) 1,400m
Winner AF Almomayaz, Hugo Lebouc (jockey), Ali Rashid Al Raihe (trainer)
2pm Handicap (TB) Dh 84,000 (D) 1,400m
Winner Karaginsky, Tadhg O’Shea, Satish Seemar.
2.30pm Maiden (TB) Dh 60,000 (D) 1,200m
Winner Sadeedd, Ryan Curatolo, Nicholas Bachalard.
3pm Conditions (TB) Dh 100,000 (D) 1,950m
Winner Blue Sovereign, Clement Lecoeuvre, Erwan Charpy.
3.30pm Handicap (TB) Dh 76,000 (D) 1,800m
Winner Tailor’s Row, Royston Ffrench, Salem bin Ghadayer.
4pm Maiden (TB) Dh 60,000 (D) 1,600m
Winner Bladesmith, Tadhg O’Shea, Satish Seemar.
4.30pm Handicap (TB) Dh 68,000 (D) 1,000m
Winner Shanaghai City, Fabrice Veron, Rashed Bouresly.
Company%20Profile
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RESULTS
6.30pm: Maiden (TB) Dh 82,500 (Dirt) 1.600m
Winner: Miller’s House, Richard Mullen (jockey), Satish Seemar (trainer).
7.05pm: Maiden (TB) Dh 82,500 (D) 2,000m
Winner: Kanood, Adrie de Vries, Fawzi Nass.
7.50pm: Handicap (TB) Dh 82,500 (D) 1,600m
Winner: Gervais, Sandro Paiva, Ali Rashid Al Raihe.
8.15pm: The Garhoud Sprint Listed (TB) Dh 132,500 (D) 1,200m
Winner: Important Mission, Royston Ffrench, Salem bin Ghadayer.
8.50pm: The Entisar Listed (TB) Dh 132,500 (D) 2,000m
Winner: Firnas, Xavier Ziani, Salem bin Ghadayer.
9.25pm: Conditions (TB) Dh 120,000 (D) 1,400m
Winner: Zhou Storm, Connor Beasley, Ali Rashid Al Raihe.
Notable groups (UAE time)
Jordan Spieth, Si Woo Kim, Henrik Stenson (12.47pm)
Justin Thomas, Justin Rose, Louis Oosthuizen (12.58pm)
Hideki Matsuyama, Brooks Koepka, Tommy Fleetwood (1.09pm)
Sergio Garcia, Jason Day, Zach Johnson (4.04pm)
Rickie Fowler, Paul Casey, Adam Scott (4.26pm)
Dustin Johnson, Charl Schwartzel, Rory McIlroy (5.48pm)
UAE-based players
Goodlands Riders: Jamshaid Butt, Ali Abid, JD Mahesh, Vibhor Shahi, Faizan Asif, Nadeem Rahim
Rose Hill Warriors: Faraz Sheikh, Ashok Kumar, Thabreez Ali, Janaka Chathuranga, Muzammil Afridi, Ameer Hamza
New UK refugee system
- A new “core protection” for refugees moving from permanent to a more basic, temporary protection
- Shortened leave to remain - refugees will receive 30 months instead of five years
- A longer path to settlement with no indefinite settled status until a refugee has spent 20 years in Britain
- To encourage refugees to integrate the government will encourage them to out of the core protection route wherever possible.
- Under core protection there will be no automatic right to family reunion
- Refugees will have a reduced right to public funds
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