SPRINGFIELD, UNITED STATES // Moving the 98th PGA Championship two weeks after the British Open to accommodate golf's Rio Olympic return has allowed several favourites to quickly try and move on from disappointments at Royal Troon.
Australia’s world No 1 Jason Day, who will defend his first major title this week at Baltusrol, shared 22nd at the British Open. He has won seven times in the past year but still seeks more major mastery.
“It does free you up,” Day said of winning a major. “Because you don’t want that tag of ‘best player without a major’ and I had that tag for awhile. And I don’t anymore.
“It has been a crazy last 12 months. I think the next step for me is to go, ‘OK, how many can I win now?’ and be able to shoot a goal for maybe the career Grand Slam, even though it is tough to get that, but that’s a good goal to have.”
Third-ranked Jordan Spieth shared 30th at Royal Troon and 37th at the US Open. The US star has struggled since a back-nine meltdown cost him the Masters crown last April.
“If you win a major, it would be pretty amazing,” Spieth said. “Just getting three majors in my career would be special. That week at PGA Championship alone could become one of the most special weeks I’ve ever had, so that’s what we’re focused on, grinding for that.”
See also:
• Super Swede Henrik Stenson beams at flawless British Open win
• Five things about Andrew 'Beef' Johnston
• Gallery: Henrik Stenson crowned British Open golf champion
World No 2 Dustin Johnson, who won his first major at last month’s US Open, has 13 top-10 finishes in 30 major starts, including a share of ninth at Royal Troon. He will try to be the first man to win the US Open and PGA in the same year since Jack Nicklaus in 1980.
“When I’m teeing it up in a major, I’m not still trying to get that first one and I know what it takes,” Johnson said. “I know I’ve got what it takes to get it done. That obviously gives me a lot of confidence when I’m out there playing.
“Winning, it has definitely increased my confidence and maybe even relaxed me more.”
And then there is Phil Mickelson, the 46-year-old US left-hander who won the last PGA staged at Baltusrol in 2005. He was a heartbreaking runner-up to British Open winner Henrik Stenson, losing a two-man duel for the Claret Jug to the Swede.
“I’ve got a lot of special memories going back to Baltusrol in ’05, and probably that we don’t have a month to wait between majors is a good thing for me,” Mickelson said. “I’ll try to look at the positives and take that into Baltusrol and keep my game sharp.”
Stenson, who had three runner-up efforts and six third places in majors, vows to be on his game even after his long-sought major breakthrough.
“I’m going to be out there trying my hardest in the PGA,” he said.
Day won last year’s PGA at Whistling Straits with a major record of 20-under par and is the tour’s hottest player over the past year.
“I always thought I could play golf on a level like this,” Day said. “I can’t get too complacent with where I’m at. I’m currently ranked the best player in the world, but I need to work harder than I ever have before to keep that spot.”
Spieth hopes momentum will ease the tension of two majors in such a short span.
“It will be odd to play two majors in three weeks. I’m sure that will be a different feeling,” he said. “But it’s a good feeling if you can ride any kind of momentum and I think we can.”
Baltusrol’s par-70 layout could be just the tonic Mickelson needs to forget the British Open defeat, his 11th second-place finish in a major.
“It was probably the best I’ve played and not won. I think that’s probably why it’s disappointing,” Mickelson said. “I played what I feel was well enough to win and yet I got beat by three strokes.”
“It’s not like I have decades left of opportunities to win majors, so each one means a lot to me. I’m happy with the way I played, but even more disappointed that it wasn’t enough.”
Spieth still sees Mickelson as a threat whenever he plays.
“He has the utmost confidence that he can beat anybody on any given day. Why wouldn’t he? He’s a legend,” Spieth said. “I love how confident he is in the way he strikes the ball. His hand-eye coordination is as good as anyone’s at anything in the world.”
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A MINECRAFT MOVIE
Director: Jared Hess
Starring: Jack Black, Jennifer Coolidge, Jason Momoa
Rating: 3/5
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Yemen's Bahais and the charges they often face
The Baha'i faith was made known in Yemen in the 19th century, first introduced by an Iranian man named Ali Muhammad Al Shirazi, considered the Herald of the Baha'i faith in 1844.
The Baha'i faith has had a growing number of followers in recent years despite persecution in Yemen and Iran.
Today, some 2,000 Baha'is reside in Yemen, according to Insaf.
"The 24 defendants represented by the House of Justice, which has intelligence outfits from the uS and the UK working to carry out an espionage scheme in Yemen under the guise of religion.. aimed to impant and found the Bahai sect on Yemeni soil by bringing foreign Bahais from abroad and homing them in Yemen," the charge sheet said.
Baha'Ullah, the founder of the Bahai faith, was exiled by the Ottoman Empire in 1868 from Iran to what is now Israel. Now, the Bahai faith's highest governing body, known as the Universal House of Justice, is based in the Israeli city of Haifa, which the Bahais turn towards during prayer.
The Houthis cite this as collective "evidence" of Bahai "links" to Israel - which the Houthis consider their enemy.
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
Results
5.30pm: Maiden (TB) Dh82,500 (Dirt) 1,600m, Winner: Panadol, Mickael Barzalona (jockey), Salem bin Ghadayer (trainer)
6.05pm: Maiden (TB) Dh82,500 (Turf) 1,400m, Winner: Mayehaab, Adrie de Vries, Fawzi Nass
6.40pm: Handicap (TB) Dh85,000 (D) 1,600m, Winner: Monoski, Mickael Barzalona, Salem bin Ghadayer
7.15pm: Handicap (TB) Dh102,500 (T) 1,800m, Winner: Eastern World, Royston Ffrench, Charlie Appleby
7.50pm: Handicap (TB) Dh92,500 (D) 1,200m, Winner: Madkal, Adrie de Vries, Fawzi Nass
8.25pm: Handicap (TB) Dh92,500 (T) 1,200m, Winner: Taneen, Dane O’Neill, Musabah Al Muhairi
UAE tour of the Netherlands
UAE squad: Rohan Mustafa (captain), Shaiman Anwar, Ghulam Shabber, Mohammed Qasim, Rameez Shahzad, Mohammed Usman, Adnan Mufti, Chirag Suri, Ahmed Raza, Imran Haider, Mohammed Naveed, Amjad Javed, Zahoor Khan, Qadeer Ahmed
Fixtures and results:
Monday, UAE won by three wickets
Wednesday, 2nd 50-over match
Thursday, 3rd 50-over match
RESULTS
%3Cp%3E5pm%3A%20Wathba%20Stallions%20Cup%20%E2%80%93%20Handicap%20(PA)%20Dh70%2C000%20(Turf)%202%2C200m%3Cbr%3EWinner%3A%20RB%20Sarab%2C%20Allaia%20Tiar%20(jockey)%2C%20Khalifa%20Al%20Neyadi%20(trainer)%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E5.30pm%3A%20Mamsha%20Alkhair%20%E2%80%93%20Handicap%20(PA)%20Dh80%2C000%20(T)%201%2C600m%3Cbr%3EWinner%3A%20Mutaqadim%2C%20Ray%20Dawson%2C%20Ibrahim%20Al%20Hadhrami%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E6pm%3A%20Emirates%20Fillies%20Classic%20%E2%80%93%20Prestige%20(PA)%20Dh100%2C000%20(T)%201%2C600m%3Cbr%3EWinner%3A%20Almotajalliah%2C%20Ray%20Dawson%2C%20Ibrahim%20Al%20Hadhrami%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E6.30pm%3A%20Emirates%20Colts%20Classic%20%E2%80%93%20Prestige%20(PA)%20Dh100%2C000%20(T)%201%2C600m%3Cbr%3EWinner%3A%20Fadwaan%2C%20Antonio%20Fresu%2C%20Ahmed%20Al%20Mehairbi%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E7pm%3A%20The%20President%E2%80%99s%20Cup%20%E2%80%93%20Group%201%20(PA)%20Dh2%2C500%2C000%20(T)%202%2C200m%3Cbr%3EWinner%3A%20Mujeeb%2C%20Richard%20Mullen%2C%20Salem%20Al%20Ketbi%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E7.30pm%3A%20The%20President%E2%80%99s%20Cup%20%E2%80%93%20Listed%20(TB)%20Dh380%2C000%20(T)%201%2C400m%3Cbr%3EWinner%3A%20Western%20Writer%2C%20Richard%20Mullen%2C%20Bhupat%20Seemar%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Herc's Adventures
Developer: Big Ape Productions
Publisher: LucasArts
Console: PlayStation 1 & 5, Sega Saturn
Rating: 4/5
Innotech Profile
Date started: 2013
Founder/CEO: Othman Al Mandhari
Based: Muscat, Oman
Sector: Additive manufacturing, 3D printing technologies
Size: 15 full-time employees
Stage: Seed stage and seeking Series A round of financing
Investors: Oman Technology Fund from 2017 to 2019, exited through an agreement with a new investor to secure new funding that it under negotiation right now.
The biog
Profession: Senior sports presenter and producer
Marital status: Single
Favourite book: Al Nabi by Jibran Khalil Jibran
Favourite food: Italian and Lebanese food
Favourite football player: Cristiano Ronaldo
Languages: Arabic, French, English, Portuguese and some Spanish
Website: www.liliane-tannoury.com
WHAT IS A BLACK HOLE?
1. Black holes are objects whose gravity is so strong not even light can escape their pull
2. They can be created when massive stars collapse under their own weight
3. Large black holes can also be formed when smaller ones collide and merge
4. The biggest black holes lurk at the centre of many galaxies, including our own
5. Astronomers believe that when the universe was very young, black holes affected how galaxies formed
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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.
The Details
Kabir Singh
Produced by: Cinestaan Studios, T-Series
Directed by: Sandeep Reddy Vanga
Starring: Shahid Kapoor, Kiara Advani, Suresh Oberoi, Soham Majumdar, Arjun Pahwa
Rating: 2.5/5
Ms Yang's top tips for parents new to the UAE
- Join parent networks
- Look beyond school fees
- Keep an open mind
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Our legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants
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ABU%20DHABI'S%20KEY%20TOURISM%20GOALS%3A%20BY%20THE%20NUMBERS
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