Henrik Stenson of Sweden talks to his caddie on the 18th hole during the first round of Abu Dhabi HSBC Golf Championship on Thursday, January 19, 2023. AP
Henrik Stenson of Sweden talks to his caddie on the 18th hole during the first round of Abu Dhabi HSBC Golf Championship on Thursday, January 19, 2023. AP
Henrik Stenson of Sweden talks to his caddie on the 18th hole during the first round of Abu Dhabi HSBC Golf Championship on Thursday, January 19, 2023. AP
Henrik Stenson of Sweden talks to his caddie on the 18th hole during the first round of Abu Dhabi HSBC Golf Championship on Thursday, January 19, 2023. AP

Henrik Stenson glad to be in UAE for Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship amid golf’s 'civil war'


Paul Radley
  • English
  • Arabic

Despite returning to a country he once called home, and a tour on which he was once the darling, Henrik Stenson might still have felt trepidation ahead of his Thursday three-ball at Yas Links.

The Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship is the first DP World Tour event Stenson has played since he was removed as Europe’s Ryder Cup captain last June for switching to LIV Golf.

The Swede had been due to lead the side in the match against the United States in Rome later this year, which would have been due reward for a stellar career on tour.

A sporting arbitration case in early February will determine whether LIV members such as Stenson, Ian Poulter and Lee Westwood, who are also playing in the capital this week, can continue to play on the DP World Tour.

The issue has been termed golf’s “civil war”, and Stenson might have been wary of the reception he was going to get on his return. In truth, it was scarcely more than lukewarm, given his 7.50am tee time.

No more than a handful of spectators had made it to the first to see him start. As Stenson strolled onto the tee box, dressed in black trousers and a black hoodie, his greeting from playing partners Soren Kjeldsen and Paul Waring was perfectly civil.

England's Luke Donald finished the opening morning at the top of the leaderboard. AFP
England's Luke Donald finished the opening morning at the top of the leaderboard. AFP

Asked, after he had signed for an opening round of 4-under-par 68, whether he felt welcome, Stenson said: “Absolutely. No question.”

The 46-year-old has won 11 times on the European Tour, with the vast majority of those titles earned while he lived in the Meadows, Dubai.

“It's been good to be back,” he said. “I played these events for 20-odd years. It's always fun to come back and see everyone."

Stenson was philosophical about what has happened since he decided to join the Saudi-backed LIV tour, and said he harboured no resentment.

“It's been difficult times obviously,” he said.

“We're still going through that. I hope we end up in a place where everything works out the best for everyone - players, spectators, tours and everything else.

"It's been a rocky road, not just on my end the last six months. I think for the most part, people are above that.

“If you're friends with someone, you're friends with them no matter where they choose to work.

“And sometimes, even if someone makes a decision that you don't necessarily agree with, or think is the right one with the information and the circumstances that you have in front of you, if you're friends, you can look past that. That's what I feel here.”

In a twist of fate, Luke Donald, the player who has replaced Stenson as Europe’s captain, finished the opening morning at the top of the leaderboard.

The Englishman, who teed off at the same time as Stenson, albeit starting at the 10th hole, posted an 8-under 64 to lead by one shot from Jason Scrivener and Guido Migliozzi.

Thor: Ragnarok

Dir: Taika Waititi

Starring: Chris Hemsworth, Tom Hiddleston, Cate Blanchett, Jeff Goldblum, Mark Ruffalo, Tessa Thompson

Four stars

Lampedusa: Gateway to Europe
Pietro Bartolo and Lidia Tilotta
Quercus

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Brief scores:

Toss: India, opted to field

Australia 158-4 (17 ov)

Maxwell 46, Lynn 37; Kuldeep 2-24

India 169-7 (17 ov)

Dhawan 76, Karthik 30; Zampa 2-22

Result: Australia won by 4 runs by D/L method

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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 
Rooney's club record

At Everton Appearances: 77; Goals: 17

At Manchester United Appearances: 559; Goals: 253

Specs

Engine: 51.5kW electric motor

Range: 400km

Power: 134bhp

Torque: 175Nm

Price: From Dh98,800

Available: Now

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Global state-owned investor ranking by size

1.

United States

2.

China

3.

UAE

4.

Japan

5

Norway

6.

Canada

7.

Singapore

8.

Australia

9.

Saudi Arabia

10.

South Korea

SPECS
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Company%20Profile
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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The specs

Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo

Power: 261hp at 5,500rpm

Torque: 405Nm at 1,750-3,500rpm

Transmission: 9-speed auto

Fuel consumption: 6.9L/100km

On sale: Now

Price: From Dh117,059

Tips from the expert

Dobromir Radichkov, chief data officer at dubizzle and Bayut, offers a few tips for UAE residents looking to earn some cash from pre-loved items.

  1. Sellers should focus on providing high-quality used goods at attractive prices to buyers.
  2. It’s important to use clear and appealing photos, with catchy titles and detailed descriptions to capture the attention of prospective buyers.
  3. Try to advertise a realistic price to attract buyers looking for good deals, especially in the current environment where consumers are significantly more price-sensitive.
  4. Be creative and look around your home for valuable items that you no longer need but might be useful to others.
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The specS: 2018 Toyota Camry

Price: base / as tested: Dh91,000 / Dh114,000

Engine: 3.5-litre V6

Gearbox: Eight-speed automatic

Power: 298hp @ 6,600rpm

Torque: 356Nm @ 4,700rpm

Fuel economy, combined: 7.0L / 100km

TRAP

Starring: Josh Hartnett, Saleka Shyamalan, Ariel Donaghue

Director: M Night Shyamalan

Rating: 3/5

Two-step truce

The UN-brokered ceasefire deal for Hodeidah will be implemented in two stages, with the first to be completed before the New Year begins, according to the Arab Coalition supporting the Yemeni government.

By midnight on December 31, the Houthi rebels will have to withdraw from the ports of Hodeidah, Ras Issa and Al Saqef, coalition officials told The National. 

The second stage will be the complete withdrawal of all pro-government forces and rebels from Hodeidah city, to be completed by midnight on January 7.

The process is to be overseen by a Redeployment Co-ordination Committee (RCC) comprising UN monitors and representatives of the government and the rebels.

The agreement also calls the deployment of UN-supervised neutral forces in the city and the establishment of humanitarian corridors to ensure distribution of aid across the country.

Six things you need to know about UAE Women’s Special Olympics football team

Several girls started playing football at age four

They describe sport as their passion

The girls don’t dwell on their condition

They just say they may need to work a little harder than others

When not in training, they play football with their brothers and sisters

The girls want to inspire others to join the UAE Special Olympics teams

Employment lawyer Meriel Schindler of Withers Worldwide shares her tips on achieving equal pay
 
Do your homework
Make sure that you are being offered a fair salary. There is lots of industry data available, and you can always talk to people who have come out of the organisation. Where I see people coming a cropper is where they haven’t done their homework.
 
Don’t be afraid to negotiate

It’s quite standard to negotiate if you think an offer is on the low side. The job is unlikely to be withdrawn if you ask for money, and if that did happen I’d question whether you want to work for an employer who is so hypersensitive.
 
Know your worth
Women tend to be a bit more reticent to talk about their achievements. In my experience they need to have more confidence in their own abilities – men will big up what they’ve done to get a pay rise, and to compete women need to turn up the volume.
 
Work together
If you suspect men in your organisation are being paid more, look your boss in the eye and say, “I want you to assure me that I’m paid equivalent to my peers”. If you’re not getting a straight answer, talk to your peer group and consider taking direct action to fix inequality.

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The Perfect Couple

Starring: Nicole Kidman, Liev Schreiber, Jack Reynor

Creator: Jenna Lamia

Rating: 3/5

Sanju

Produced: Vidhu Vinod Chopra, Rajkumar Hirani

Director: Rajkumar Hirani

Cast: Ranbir Kapoor, Vicky Kaushal, Paresh Rawal, Anushka Sharma, Manish’s Koirala, Dia Mirza, Sonam Kapoor, Jim Sarbh, Boman Irani

Rating: 3.5 stars

SPECS

Toyota land Cruiser 2020 5.7L VXR

Engine: 5.7-litre V8

Transmission: eight-speed automatic

Power: 362hp

Torque: 530Nm

Price: Dh329,000 (base model 4.0L EXR Dh215,900)

Juvenile arthritis

Along with doctors, families and teachers can help pick up cases of arthritis in children.
Most types of childhood arthritis are known as juvenile idiopathic arthritis. JIA causes pain and inflammation in one or more joints for at least six weeks.
Dr Betina Rogalski said "The younger the child the more difficult it into pick up the symptoms. If the child is small, it may just be a bit grumpy or pull its leg a way or not feel like walking,” she said.
According to The National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases in US, the most common symptoms of juvenile arthritis are joint swelling, pain, and stiffness that doesn’t go away. Usually it affects the knees, hands, and feet, and it’s worse in the morning or after a nap.
Limping in the morning because of a stiff knee, excessive clumsiness, having a high fever and skin rash are other symptoms. Children may also have swelling in lymph nodes in the neck and other parts of the body.
Arthritis in children can cause eye inflammation and growth problems and can cause bones and joints to grow unevenly.
In the UK, about 15,000 children and young people are affected by arthritis.

Updated: January 19, 2023, 11:07 AM`