Graeme McDowell will aim to become the first player to successfully defend the Scottish Open title this morning when he begins his first round with Argentina's Angel Cabrera, the US Masters champion, and Ross Fisher of England.
A year ago McDowell became only the second Irishman to win the event when he posted a 13-under par 271 winning total over four days to emulate the achievement of his compatriot, David Feherty, in 1986.
History suggests it would be difficult repeating such moments this week, but McDowell is in a positive mood.
"I'm not going to get sucked into the whole 'well, I won last year and surely I should come and birdie the first five holes this year'," said McDowell. "I'm dealing with the extra exposure, but I know I've got to back out and win it again this week."
Lee Westwood, Ian Poulter and Rory McIlroy, the Dubai Desert Classic winner, are out together in the morning with the European Ryder Cup captain Colin Montgomerie, Ernie Els and Nick Dougherty forming another alluring group in the afternoon.
The South African Els feels the Scottish Open is good preparation for the British Open at Turnberry next week, despite the differing natures of the courses.
Loch Lomond is more an inland target-style circuit, compared to the coastal links of Turnberry, where the elements tend to dominate. Els had to battle with the wind and rain in winning the Open at Muirfield in 2002.
"It's not the most perfect preparation. The strike of the turf is so different, but we've known that for 13 or 14 years since we've been playing here. It is such a great tournament in itself that you don't want to miss this tournament," said Els. "I think competitive golf is good preparation for major golf."
In other afternoon groups, Geoff Ogilvy, Oliver Wilson and Refief Goosen play together, while Sir Nick Faldo will accompany Thongchai Jaidee and Louis Oosthuizen.
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A cheaper choice
Vanuatu: $130,000
Why on earth pick Vanuatu? Easy. The South Pacific country has no income tax, wealth tax, capital gains or inheritance tax. And in 2015, when it was hit by Cyclone Pam, it signed an agreement with the EU that gave it some serious passport power.
Cost: A minimum investment of $130,000 for a family of up to four, plus $25,000 in fees.
Criteria: Applicants must have a minimum net worth of $250,000. The process take six to eight weeks, after which the investor must travel to Vanuatu or Hong Kong to take the oath of allegiance. Citizenship and passport are normally provided on the same day.
Benefits: No tax, no restrictions on dual citizenship, no requirement to visit or reside to retain a passport. Visa-free access to 129 countries.
Results
2.30pm: Park Avenue – Conditions (PA) Dh80,000 (Dirt) 2,000m; Winner: Rb Seqondtonone, Abdul Aziz Al Balushi (jockey), Helal Al Alawi (trainer)
3.05pm: Al Furjan – Maiden (TB) Dh82,500 (Turf) 1,200m; Winner: Bosphorus, Dane O’Neill, Bhupat Seemar
3.40pm: Mina – Rated Condition (TB) Dh105,000 (D) 1,600m; Winner: Royal Mews, Tadhg O’Shea, Bhupat Seemar
4.15pm: Aliyah – Handicap (TB) Dh87,500 (T) 1,900m; Winner: Ursa Minor, Ray Dawson, Ahmad bin Harmash
4.50pm: Riviera Beach – Rated Conditions (TB) Dh95,000 (D) 2,200m; Winner: Woodditton, Saif Al Balushi, Ahmad bin Harmash
5.25pm: Riviera – Handicap (TB) Dh2,000 (T) 2,000m; Winner: Al Madhar, Antonio Fresu, Musabah Al Muhairi
6pm: Creek Views – Handicap (TB) Dh95,000 (T) 1,400m; Winner: Al Salt, Dane O’Neill, Erwan Charpy
The National Archives, Abu Dhabi
Founded over 50 years ago, the National Archives collects valuable historical material relating to the UAE, and is the oldest and richest archive relating to the Arabian Gulf.
Much of the material can be viewed on line at the Arabian Gulf Digital Archive - https://www.agda.ae/en
The Africa Institute 101
Housed on the same site as the original Africa Hall, which first hosted an Arab-African Symposium in 1976, the newly renovated building will be home to a think tank and postgraduate studies hub (it will offer master’s and PhD programmes). The centre will focus on both the historical and contemporary links between Africa and the Gulf, and will serve as a meeting place for conferences, symposia, lectures, film screenings, plays, musical performances and more. In fact, today it is hosting a symposium – 5-plus-1: Rethinking Abstraction that will look at the six decades of Frank Bowling’s career, as well as those of his contemporaries that invested social, cultural and personal meaning into abstraction.
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