Ryder Cup star Tyrell Hatton says he is proud to be a former winner of the “iconic” Abu Dhabi HSBC Golf Championship.
Hatton, who sits third in the Race to Dubai rankings, tees off on Thursday morning alongside leader Rory McIlroy and second-placed Marco Penge of England.
McIlroy heads into the home stretch of the tour as an overwhelming favourite to be Europe's No 1 for the seventh time, and fourth in a row.
Hatton, a key member of Team Europe's victorious Ryder Cup squad, picked up the Falcon Trophy back in 2021 and has a track record of success on UAE courses.
Asked to reflect on that 2021 success, Hatton said: “It was kind of a different time in the world with it still being Covid and obviously we didn't have too many fans. In terms of how I played that week, it was something I was really proud of, and to have my name on this trophy is very special. It's an iconic event on the DP World Tour, and yeah it's very special.”
Back in January Hatton said it was a “dream come true” as he won the Dubai Desert Classic. Hatton collected the Dallah Trophy after holing a nervy five-foot putt for par at the 72nd hole. It gave him a one-stroke win over Daniel Hillier, his final-round playing partner from New Zealand, and a title he aspired to win since he was a child watching on television.
“I've always loved playing out here,” said Hatton, 34, when asked about that January victory, his eighth DP World Tour title.
“The courses are generally in great condition. Nice weather. It's a good place to be. I guess that helps.”
Hatton's 2021 victory in the capital saw him become the final winner of the Falcon Trophy at the event's previous home of Abu Dhabi Golf Club.
Since the 2022 move to Yas Links, Hatton has finished tied 6th, tied 7th and the solo runner-up at the 2024 tournament.
“Some of the visuals do feel a bit linksy but generally this place doesn't play that firm,” Hatton said of the conditions on Yas Island.
“The greens are pretty soft. So although it does get windy, you still have to control the ball pretty well, and you do get some good crosswinds. And you don't really want to miss too many of these greens because you can end up in some interesting spots. I mean, I'll try my best this week to keep it on the greens and hopefully hole some putts.”
Hatton is one of eight members of Team Europe's triumphant Bethpage Black contingent set to tee off in the UAE capital and he said he was looking forward to seeing some familiar faces.
“We've seen each other in the players' lounge and chatted about other things,” he said. “A lot of us have had quite a bit of time off, which I think we have all enjoyed. I know a few lads have played a couple of events. But generally just kind of catching up and seeing what's been going on.”
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo
Power: 268hp at 5,600rpm
Torque: 380Nm at 4,800rpm
Transmission: CVT auto
Fuel consumption: 9.5L/100km
On sale: now
Price: from Dh195,000
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Three tips from La Perle's performers
1 The kind of water athletes drink is important. Gwilym Hooson, a 28-year-old British performer who is currently recovering from knee surgery, found that out when the company was still in Studio City, training for 12 hours a day. “The physio team was like: ‘Why is everyone getting cramps?’ And then they realised we had to add salt and sugar to the water,” he says.
2 A little chocolate is a good thing. “It’s emergency energy,” says Craig Paul Smith, La Perle’s head coach and former Cirque du Soleil performer, gesturing to an almost-empty open box of mini chocolate bars on his desk backstage.
3 Take chances, says Young, who has worked all over the world, including most recently at Dragone’s show in China. “Every time we go out of our comfort zone, we learn a lot about ourselves,” she says.
Ferrari
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'Worse than a prison sentence'
Marie Byrne, a counsellor who volunteers at the UAE government's mental health crisis helpline, said the ordeal the crew had been through would take time to overcome.
“It was worse than a prison sentence, where at least someone can deal with a set amount of time incarcerated," she said.
“They were living in perpetual mystery as to how their futures would pan out, and what that would be.
“Because of coronavirus, the world is very different now to the one they left, that will also have an impact.
“It will not fully register until they are on dry land. Some have not seen their young children grow up while others will have to rebuild relationships.
“It will be a challenge mentally, and to find other work to support their families as they have been out of circulation for so long. Hopefully they will get the care they need when they get home.”
How to help
Donate towards food and a flight by transferring money to this registered charity's account.
Account name: Dar Al Ber Society
Account Number: 11 530 734
IBAN: AE 9805 000 000 000 11 530 734
Bank Name: Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank
To ensure that your contribution reaches these people, please send the copy of deposit/transfer receipt to: juhi.khan@daralber.ae
German intelligence warnings
- 2002: "Hezbollah supporters feared becoming a target of security services because of the effects of [9/11] ... discussions on Hezbollah policy moved from mosques into smaller circles in private homes." Supporters in Germany: 800
- 2013: "Financial and logistical support from Germany for Hezbollah in Lebanon supports the armed struggle against Israel ... Hezbollah supporters in Germany hold back from actions that would gain publicity." Supporters in Germany: 950
- 2023: "It must be reckoned with that Hezbollah will continue to plan terrorist actions outside the Middle East against Israel or Israeli interests." Supporters in Germany: 1,250
Source: Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution
More from Rashmee Roshan Lall
THE SPECS
Engine: 1.5-litre
Transmission: 6-speed automatic
Power: 110 horsepower
Torque: 147Nm
Price: From Dh59,700
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INDIA SQUADS
India squad for third Test against Sri Lanka
Virat Kohli (capt), Murali Vijay, Lokesh Rahul, Shikhar Dhawan, Cheteshwar Pujara, Ajinkya Rahane, Rohit Sharma, Wriddhiman Saha, Ravichandran Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Shami, Umesh Yadav, Ishant Sharma, Vijay Shankar
India squad for ODI series against Sri Lanka
Rohit Sharma (capt), Shikhar Dhawan, Ajinkya Rahane, Shreyas Iyer, Manish Pandey, Kedar Jadhav, Dinesh Karthik, Mahendra Singh Dhoni, Hardik Pandya, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Yuzvendra Chahal, Jasprit Bumrah, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Siddarth Kaul
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Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
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Destroyer
Director: Karyn Kusama
Cast: Nicole Kidman, Toby Kebbell, Sebastian Stan
Rating: 3/5
UAE release: January 31
