Former runner-up Dustin Johnson fired a 2-over 74 to grab a share of the lead at a gusty WGC-Cadillac Championship on Friday, while Northern Ireland’s Rory McIlroy kept pace with a 74.
Defending champion Tiger Woods carded a 73 in difficult conditions, and despite the over-par round jumped 28 places into a share of 25th at the $9 million (Dh33m) PGA Tour event. Woods won this title for the seventh time last year.
“I played pretty well. A 74 is about as high as it was going to go. I think I played a lot better than that,” said Johnson, who finished second in this event in 2011. “It’s really tough.”
Johnson is tied atop a crowded leaderboard after 36 holes with American compatriots Patrick Reed (75), Matt Kuchar (74) and Hunter Mahan (74) at one-under 143.
It is not quite the Ryder Cup, but McIlroy is lurking just one stroke back in another four-man group that comprises fellow Europeans Jamie Donaldson, Graeme McDowell (71) and Francesco Molinari (75).
The Europeans share fifth place as Donaldson, of Wales, tallied the low round of the day on the weather-hit Trump National Doral with a 2-under 70.
“I don’t think I have played in conditions this difficult in America,” said McDowell of the swirling winds on the Blue Monster course.
No one shot in the 60s and just three golfers broke par in the second round. The average score Friday was a 76.
Woods drained a 91-foot, seven-inch putt on the par-three fourth, giving him his longest putt since 2001. It was also the longest putt on the Tour in five years.
“We’ve all got a shot at it now,” Woods said. “No one is going anywhere.”
Zach Johnson (75) and Bubba Watson (72) share ninth place at 1-over 145, one stroke clear of Jason Dufner (77), South African Charl Schwartzel (76), Brandt Snedeker (73), Chris Kirk (71), Harris English (77) and South Korea’s Kim Hyung-Sung (74).
The first and second rounds were both completed on Friday. The first round was suspended because of darkness following a long weather delay Thursday.
Both rounds saw scores soar Friday as the wind gusted to over 32 kilometers (20 miles) per hour.
“It was a demanding day. It was really kind of touch and go, particularly on the greens. It felt like the ball could roll at any moment,” said Kuchar. “It was nasty.”
The second round alone saw over 100 golf balls land in the water.
Reed, 23, led after the first round but he tumbled out of first with consecutive bogeys at 13 and 14.
“Anytime you’re playing on the PGA Tour, especially a World Golf Championship, it’s fun and you can enjoy it,” Reed said.
“To be out here grinding, yeah it’s tough, but at the same time, it’s only going to make you tougher.”
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Real estate tokenisation project
Dubai launched the pilot phase of its real estate tokenisation project last month.
The initiative focuses on converting real estate assets into digital tokens recorded on blockchain technology and helps in streamlining the process of buying, selling and investing, the Dubai Land Department said.
Dubai’s real estate tokenisation market is projected to reach Dh60 billion ($16.33 billion) by 2033, representing 7 per cent of the emirate’s total property transactions, according to the DLD.
more from Janine di Giovanni
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Our family matters legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
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 rules on fostering in the UAE
A foster couple or family must:
- be Muslim, Emirati and be residing in the UAE
- not be younger than 25 years old
- not have been convicted of offences or crimes involving moral turpitude
- be free of infectious diseases or psychological and mental disorders
- have the ability to support its members and the foster child financially
- undertake to treat and raise the child in a proper manner and take care of his or her health and well-being
- A single, divorced or widowed Muslim Emirati female, residing in the UAE may apply to foster a child if she is at least 30 years old and able to support the child financially
Specs
Engine: Duel electric motors
Power: 659hp
Torque: 1075Nm
On sale: Available for pre-order now
Price: On request
The specs
Engine: 6.2-litre V8
Transmission: ten-speed
Power: 420bhp
Torque: 624Nm
Price: Dh325,125
On sale: Now
COMPANY PROFILE
Initial investment: Undisclosed
Investment stage: Series A
Investors: Core42
Current number of staff: 47
The White Lotus: Season three
Creator: Mike White
Starring: Walton Goggins, Jason Isaacs, Natasha Rothwell
Rating: 4.5/5
A MINECRAFT MOVIE
Director: Jared Hess
Starring: Jack Black, Jennifer Coolidge, Jason Momoa
Rating: 3/5
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
At a glance
Global events: Much of the UK’s economic woes were blamed on “increased global uncertainty”, which can be interpreted as the economic impact of the Ukraine war and the uncertainty over Donald Trump’s tariffs.
Growth forecasts: Cut for 2025 from 2 per cent to 1 per cent. The OBR watchdog also estimated inflation will average 3.2 per cent this year
Welfare: Universal credit health element cut by 50 per cent and frozen for new claimants, building on cuts to the disability and incapacity bill set out earlier this month
Spending cuts: Overall day-to day-spending across government cut by £6.1bn in 2029-30
Tax evasion: Steps to crack down on tax evasion to raise “£6.5bn per year” for the public purse
Defence: New high-tech weaponry, upgrading HM Naval Base in Portsmouth
Housing: Housebuilding to reach its highest in 40 years, with planning reforms helping generate an extra £3.4bn for public finances
Living in...
This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.
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The Transfiguration
Director: Michael O’Shea
Starring: Eric Ruffin, Chloe Levine
Three stars
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Skewed figures
In the village of Mevagissey in southwest England the housing stock has doubled in the last century while the number of residents is half the historic high. The village's Neighbourhood Development Plan states that 26% of homes are holiday retreats. Prices are high, averaging around £300,000, £50,000 more than the Cornish average of £250,000. The local average wage is £15,458.
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The specs
Engine: Four electric motors, one at each wheel
Power: 579hp
Torque: 859Nm
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Price: From Dh825,900
On sale: Now
Keep it fun and engaging
Stuart Ritchie, director of wealth advice at AES International, says children cannot learn something overnight, so it helps to have a fun routine that keeps them engaged and interested.
“I explain to my daughter that the money I draw from an ATM or the money on my bank card doesn’t just magically appear – it’s money I have earned from my job. I show her how this works by giving her little chores around the house so she can earn pocket money,” says Mr Ritchie.
His daughter is allowed to spend half of her pocket money, while the other half goes into a bank account. When this money hits a certain milestone, Mr Ritchie rewards his daughter with a small lump sum.
He also recommends books that teach the importance of money management for children, such as The Squirrel Manifesto by Ric Edelman and Jean Edelman.
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More from Neighbourhood Watch:
In numbers: PKK’s money network in Europe
Germany: PKK collectors typically bring in $18 million in cash a year – amount has trebled since 2010
Revolutionary tax: Investigators say about $2 million a year raised from ‘tax collection’ around Marseille
Extortion: Gunman convicted in 2023 of demanding $10,000 from Kurdish businessman in Stockholm
Drug trade: PKK income claimed by Turkish anti-drugs force in 2024 to be as high as $500 million a year
Denmark: PKK one of two terrorist groups along with Iranian separatists ASMLA to raise “two-digit million amounts”
Contributions: Hundreds of euros expected from typical Kurdish families and thousands from business owners
TV channel: Kurdish Roj TV accounts frozen and went bankrupt after Denmark fined it more than $1 million over PKK links in 2013
NO OTHER LAND
Director: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham, Rachel Szor, Hamdan Ballal
Stars: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham
Rating: 3.5/5
