St Andrews hosts the 150th British Open from Thursday with Rory McIlroy starting as the favourite for the Claret Jug while a determined Tiger Woods hopes to make an impact at a venue where he has triumphed twice before.
Record crowds for the week of 290,000 are expected on Scotland's east coast for this landmark edition of the world's oldest golf tournament, which comes to the Old Course for the 30th time.
With fine weather expected to continue for much of the week, it is shaping up to be a fitting way to mark a historic British Open, even if the sport continues to be rocked by the fallout caused by the breakaway LIV Series.
Players who left to join the Saudi-backed tour were allowed to take part by Open organisers, just as they were at last month's US Open despite both the PGA Tour and DP World Tour moving to ban the rebels.
That means four-time major winner Brooks Koepka, Sergio Garcia, Bryson DeChambeau, Dustin Johnson and former Open champion Phil Mickelson will all tee off on Thursday.
McIlroy, though, is aiming to end an eight-year wait to add to his four major titles and the Northern Irishman is the favourite in the eyes of many.
"I think it's the Holy Grail of our sport. So not a lot of people are going to get that opportunity to achieve that, but that's what winning an Open at St Andrews is," McIlroy said on Tuesday.
The world No 2 won the 2014 Open at Hoylake but missed the chance to defend his title in St Andrews a year later after injuring an ankle playing football.
"I can't go in here thinking that this might be my time. I just have to go out and play a really good tournament," he added.
McIlroy will tee off in Thursday's first round alongside Collin Morikawa, winner of last year's Open at Royal St George's, and Xander Schauffele, who triumphed in last weekend's Scottish Open.
There is no shortage of contenders, not least among the large contingent of American stars including world No 1 Scottie Scheffler and 2017 Open winner Jordan Spieth.
"If you're not getting amped up to play in this Open, I'm not sure this is the right sport for you," said Spieth on Tuesday, when stiff breezes blowing across the course served as a reminder of the challenges St Andrews can pose.
There has been some talk of the Old Course becoming too easy, 149 years on from the first Open here, but it still captivates players.
They will continue to be challenged in particular by the par-4 17th — the Road Hole is one of the toughest in golf, where players must send their tee shots over the Old Course Hotel.
Jack Nicklaus, twice an Open champion here and who was this week made an honorary citizen of the town, called St Andrews "a magical place".
Woods, now 46, won here in 2000 and 2005 and was determined to return despite suffering severe leg injuries in a car crash last year.
"For the most part of my rehab I was just hoping that I could walk again," admitted Woods, who skipped last month's US Open to improve his chances of featuring this week.
"I'm not going to play a full schedule ever again. My body just won't allow me to do that.
"I don't know how many Open Championships I have left here at St Andrews, but I wanted this one," said Woods, who will play with US Open winner Matt Fitzpatrick in the first two rounds.
Ferrari 12Cilindri specs
Engine: naturally aspirated 6.5-liter V12
Power: 819hp
Torque: 678Nm at 7,250rpm
Price: From Dh1,700,000
Available: Now
The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre V8 twin-turbocharged and three electric motors
Power: Combined output 920hp
Torque: 730Nm at 4,000-7,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed dual-clutch automatic
Fuel consumption: 11.2L/100km
On sale: Now, deliveries expected later in 2025
Price: expected to start at Dh1,432,000
The%20trailblazers
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Profile of Hala Insurance
Date Started: September 2018
Founders: Walid and Karim Dib
Based: Abu Dhabi
Employees: Nine
Amount raised: $1.2 million
Funders: Oman Technology Fund, AB Accelerator, 500 Startups, private backers
Profile
Company name: Jaib
Started: January 2018
Co-founders: Fouad Jeryes and Sinan Taifour
Based: Jordan
Sector: FinTech
Total transactions: over $800,000 since January, 2018
Investors in Jaib's mother company Alpha Apps: Aramex and 500 Startups
'Saand Ki Aankh'
Produced by: Reliance Entertainment with Chalk and Cheese Films
Director: Tushar Hiranandani
Cast: Taapsee Pannu, Bhumi Pednekar, Prakash Jha, Vineet Singh
Rating: 3.5/5 stars
Muslim Council of Elders condemns terrorism on religious sites
The Muslim Council of Elders has strongly condemned the criminal attacks on religious sites in Britain.
It firmly rejected “acts of terrorism, which constitute a flagrant violation of the sanctity of houses of worship”.
“Attacking places of worship is a form of terrorism and extremism that threatens peace and stability within societies,” it said.
The council also warned against the rise of hate speech, racism, extremism and Islamophobia. It urged the international community to join efforts to promote tolerance and peaceful coexistence.
Other workplace saving schemes
- The UAE government announced a retirement savings plan for private and free zone sector employees in 2023.
- Dubai’s savings retirement scheme for foreign employees working in the emirate’s government and public sector came into effect in 2022.
- National Bonds unveiled a Golden Pension Scheme in 2022 to help private-sector foreign employees with their financial planning.
- In April 2021, Hayah Insurance unveiled a workplace savings plan to help UAE employees save for their retirement.
- Lunate, an Abu Dhabi-based investment manager, has launched a fund that will allow UAE private companies to offer employees investment returns on end-of-service benefits.
The specs
Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
Power: 620hp from 5,750-7,500rpm
Torque: 760Nm from 3,000-5,750rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed dual-clutch auto
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh1.05 million ($286,000)
Company%20Profile
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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
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
SUZUME
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Dark Souls: Remastered
Developer: From Software (remaster by QLOC)
Publisher: Namco Bandai
Price: Dh199
