No longer is there a need to read between the lines.
Fan favourite Bubba Watson, often and charitably described as entertainingly unpredictable, mercurial and fickle, has been laid bare by his own tongue.
Despite playing the most impressive weekend in three decades at the PGA Tour event in Los Angeles, Watson again was caught by television microphones complaining about the gallery, criticising his caddie and grousing his way around Riviera Country Club while posting consecutive rounds of 64.
What a combination: winning and whingeing. The act has grown thin in some quarters, where Watson this week has been called out for being petulant, thin-skinned and ungrateful.
That characterisation hardly comes as news for those who have followed the game from inside the ropes, where Watson often has as many moods swings as golf swings.
Publicly, though, it reinforced the belief that, while Watson is No 12 in the world ranking, he is a distant first as far as having the game’s most complex personality.
Reminder: this is a player described by television analyst David Feherty as “jumpier than a box of frogs” and “nuttier than squirrel poop”.
Watson is as flighty as his booming drives, which can land just about anywhere.
He can be petty and petulant, generous and gregarious. Sometimes in the span of five minutes.
Watson carries 14 clubs and at least as many insecurities. He is deeply religious, does not drink, supports several charities, has never used a swing coach, and claims that he is an anti-celebrity.
Yet he drives notoriously flashy cars and is acutely aware of what others are writing, saying and thinking.
He refers to himself in the third person. He has an adopted son. He bought Tiger Woods’s former home in Orlando. Press the right button and he openly weeps.
It takes a yardage book, a caddie and an on-board GPS system to track his contradictions. From famously blue-collar origins, something akin to an inferiority complex occasionally bubbles over.
When he was a complete unknown, in college, he played an informal practice round with Phil Mickelson.
Legend has it, Watson talked trash the entire round, leaving Mickelson with a look on his face that could best be described as: “And who are you, exactly?”
More than a decade and five PGA Tour wins later, the question endures.
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Ferrari 12Cilindri specs
Engine: naturally aspirated 6.5-liter V12
Power: 819hp
Torque: 678Nm at 7,250rpm
Price: From Dh1,700,000
Available: Now
Paatal Lok season two
Directors: Avinash Arun, Prosit Roy
Stars: Jaideep Ahlawat, Ishwak Singh, Lc Sekhose, Merenla Imsong
Rating: 4.5/5
Dust and sand storms compared
Sand storm
- Particle size: Larger, heavier sand grains
- Visibility: Often dramatic with thick "walls" of sand
- Duration: Short-lived, typically localised
- Travel distance: Limited
- Source: Open desert areas with strong winds
Dust storm
- Particle size: Much finer, lightweight particles
- Visibility: Hazy skies but less intense
- Duration: Can linger for days
- Travel distance: Long-range, up to thousands of kilometres
- Source: Can be carried from distant regions
Tearful appearance
Chancellor Rachel Reeves set markets on edge as she appeared visibly distraught in parliament on Wednesday.
Legislative setbacks for the government have blown a new hole in the budgetary calculations at a time when the deficit is stubbornly large and the economy is struggling to grow.
She appeared with Keir Starmer on Thursday and the pair embraced, but he had failed to give her his backing as she cried a day earlier.
A spokesman said her upset demeanour was due to a personal matter.
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match info
Chelsea 2
Willian (13'), Ross Barkley (64')
Liverpool 0
Key recommendations
- Fewer criminals put behind bars and more to serve sentences in the community, with short sentences scrapped and many inmates released earlier.
- Greater use of curfews and exclusion zones to deliver tougher supervision than ever on criminals.
- Explore wider powers for judges to punish offenders by blocking them from attending football matches, banning them from driving or travelling abroad through an expansion of ‘ancillary orders’.
- More Intensive Supervision Courts to tackle the root causes of crime such as alcohol and drug abuse – forcing repeat offenders to take part in tough treatment programmes or face prison.
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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
Super Saturday results
4pm: Mahab Al Shimaal Group 3 | US$350,000 | (Dirt) | 1,200m
Winner: Drafted, Pat Dobbs (jockey), Doug Watson (trainer).
4.35pm: Al Bastakiya Listed | $300,000 | (D) | 1,900m
Winner: Divine Image, Brett Doyle, Charlie Appleby.
5.10pm: Nad Al Sheba Turf Group 3 | $350,000 | (Turf) | 1,200m
Winner: Blue Point, William Buick, Charlie Appleby.
5.45pm: Burj Nahaar Group 3 | $350,000 | (D) | 1,600m
Winner: Muntazah, Jim Crowley, Doug Watson.
6.20pm: Dubai City of Gold Group 2 | $300,000 | (T) | 2,410m
Winner: Old Persian, William Buick, Charlie Appleby.
6.55pm: Al Maktoum Challenge Round 3 Group 1 | $600,000 | (D) | 2,000m
Winner: Capezzano, Mickael Barzalona, Salem bin Ghadayer.
7.30pm: Jebel Hatta Group 1 | $400,000 | (T) | 1,800m
Winner: Dream Castle, Christophe Soumillon, Saeed bin Suroor.
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GAC GS8 Specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 248hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 400Nm at 1,750-4,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 9.1L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh149,900
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
