ABU DHABI // Newly minted English pro Craig Hinton seized the early initiative on the opening day of the Mena Tour's Abu Dhabi Golf Citizen Open at Saadiyat Beach Club on Monday.
Hinton, who turned professional last month, fired a four-under 68 to take a one-stroke lead over Nicholas Mullhaupt of Switzerland and Stuart Arch, and is two better than Spain’s Antonio Arjona Bueno.
Hinton, who last year represented England in the Eisenhower Trophy – the biennial world amateur team championship – amassed five birdies, including four on the back nine, to overshadow many seasoned professionals in the field.
His lone bogey came at the par-4 16th.
Four shots back is Welshman Stephen Dodd, a three-time winner on the European Tour and the defending Mena Tour champion.
Zane Scotland, who has won four of the six Mena events staged this season, slipped to a four-over par 76 after playing the last six holes in six-over. Scotland, who finished with a round-wrecking double-bogey, won the Abu Dhabi event in 2011.
Morocco’s Yassine Touhami leads the amateur division with a level-par 72, one shot ahead of Rahyan Thomas, who is 13 years old.
Thomas, a Dubai-based player from India, disqualified himself at last week’s Ras Al Khaimah Classic after signing for an incorrect score, but he bounced back at the 7,806-yard ocean course, designed by Gary Player.
Scotland’s David Law, who finished second in consecutive weeks, admitted to playing “poorly” with a round of three-over 75.
Also in that category was South Africa’s Tyler Hogarty, who finished with a four-over 76.
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The specs
Engine: 3.0-litre six-cylinder turbo
Power: 398hp from 5,250rpm
Torque: 580Nm at 1,900-4,800rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed auto
Fuel economy, combined: 6.5L/100km
On sale: December
Price: From Dh330,000 (estimate)
Racecard
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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
The specs
- Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
- Power: 640hp
- Torque: 760nm
- On sale: 2026
- Price: Not announced yet
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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
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UPI facts
More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions
The specs
Engine: 4 liquid-cooled permanent magnet synchronous electric motors placed at each wheel
Battery: Rimac 120kWh Lithium Nickel Manganese Cobalt Oxide (LiNiMnCoO2) chemistry
Power: 1877bhp
Torque: 2300Nm
Price: Dh7,500,00
On sale: Now
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How to watch Ireland v Pakistan in UAE
When: The one-off Test starts on Friday, May 11
What time: Each day’s play is scheduled to start at 2pm UAE time.
TV: The match will be broadcast on OSN Sports Cricket HD. Subscribers to the channel can also stream the action live on OSN Play.
