While accepted wisdom suggests a sixth Race to Dubai title might as well be handed to Rory McIlroy now, his nearest competitor at the top of the rankings has not given up just yet.
Thriston Lawrence is second in the standings ahead of the start of the first leg of the inaugural DP World Tour Play-off.
As such, he will play alongside McIlroy, and Denmark's Rasmus Hojgaard, over the opening two days of the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship at Yas Links.
The South African has the best part of 1,600 points to make up over the next two weeks – first at Yas, then at Jumeirah Golf Estates – if he is to beat the world No 3 to the order of merit title.
It might be a long shot, but Lawrence insists anything is still possible, and that he has it in him to win both the remaining events of the season.
“In the last two years, I was 19th and 14th going into the last two events,” Lawrence said. “I know Rory is a couple of points ahead but it's not going to stop me to try and catch him. I know I'm good enough to win both events going into the final.
“It's always good to see my name up there, and I'm very proud of myself how I kept calm this year, being runner-up five times, but not getting a victory. There's two left and hopefully I can do something special in the last two.”
Lawrence’s self belief belies the fact that he will be in uncharted water when teeing it up in Abu Dhabi. Primarily, it is the first time he has had a shot at winning the Race to Dubai.
But it will also be the first time he has played a full 18 holes with McIlroy. He has had one brief sample of his company on the course before. The duo were the defeated players when Billy Horschel won the BMW PGA Championship at the first play-off hole at Wentworth back in September.
“I’m really, really excited,” Lawrence said. “I think he's probably the best golfer golf has seen the last 15 years consistently.
“That's sort of where I see myself going forward is being so consistent every year and contending on both tours. And Rasmus, good player, nice guy, as well, so I’m very excited for the next few days.”
EA Sports FC 26
Publisher: EA Sports
Consoles: PC, PlayStation 4/5, Xbox Series X/S
Rating: 3/5
More from our Neighbourhood series:
Who has lived at The Bishops Avenue?
- George Sainsbury of the supermarket dynasty, sugar magnate William Park Lyle and actress Dame Gracie Fields were residents in the 1930s when the street was only known as ‘Millionaires’ Row’.
- Then came the international super rich, including the last king of Greece, Constantine II, the Sultan of Brunei and Indian steel magnate Lakshmi Mittal who was at one point ranked the third richest person in the world.
- Turkish tycoon Halis Torprak sold his mansion for £50m in 2008 after spending just two days there. The House of Saud sold 10 properties on the road in 2013 for almost £80m.
- Other residents have included Iraqi businessman Nemir Kirdar, singer Ariana Grande, holiday camp impresario Sir Billy Butlin, businessman Asil Nadir, Paul McCartney’s former wife Heather Mills.
Hunting park to luxury living
- Land was originally the Bishop of London's hunting park, hence the name
- The road was laid out in the mid 19th Century, meandering through woodland and farmland
- Its earliest houses at the turn of the 20th Century were substantial detached properties with extensive grounds
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THE SPECS
Engine: 6.75-litre twin-turbocharged V12 petrol engine
Power: 420kW
Torque: 780Nm
Transmission: 8-speed automatic
Price: From Dh1,350,000
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Did you know?
Brunch has been around, is some form or another, for more than a century. The word was first mentioned in print in an 1895 edition of Hunter’s Weekly, after making the rounds among university students in Britain. The article, entitled Brunch: A Plea, argued the case for a later, more sociable weekend meal. “By eliminating the need to get up early on Sunday, brunch would make life brighter for Saturday night carousers. It would promote human happiness in other ways as well,” the piece read. “It is talk-compelling. It puts you in a good temper, it makes you satisfied with yourself and your fellow beings, it sweeps away the worries and cobwebs of the week.” More than 100 years later, author Guy Beringer’s words still ring true, especially in the UAE, where brunches are often used to mark special, sociable occasions.
SCHEDULE
Saturday, April 20: 11am to 7pm - Abu Dhabi World Jiu-Jitsu Festival and Para jiu-jitsu.
Sunday, April 21: 11am to 6pm - Abu Dhabi World Youth (female) Jiu-Jitsu Championship.
Monday, April 22: 11am to 6pm - Abu Dhabi World Youth (male) Jiu-Jitsu Championship.
Tuesday, April 23: 11am-6pm Abu Dhabi World Masters Jiu-Jitsu Championship.
Wednesday, April 24: 11am-6pm Abu Dhabi World Professional Jiu-Jitsu Championship.
Thursday, April 25: 11am-5pm Abu Dhabi World Professional Jiu-Jitsu Championship.
Friday, April 26: 3pm to 6pm Finals of the Abu Dhabi World Professional Jiu-Jitsu Championship.
Saturday, April 27: 4pm and 8pm awards ceremony.
INDIA SQUAD
Virat Kohli (capt), Rohit Sharma, Shikhar Dhawan, KL Rahul, Vijay Shankar, MS Dhoni (wk), Kedar Jadhav, Dinesh Karthik, Yuzvendra Chahal, Kuldeep Yadav, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Jasprit Bumrah, Hardik Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja, Mohammed Shami
Karwaan
Producer: Ronnie Screwvala
Director: Akarsh Khurana
Starring: Irrfan Khan, Dulquer Salmaan, Mithila Palkar
Rating: 4/5
