Look over his shoulder at Slync.io Dubai Desert Classic chasing pack, and Justin Harding could be forgiven for feeling more than a little anxious when he tees it up on Sunday.
The South African heads into the denouement at Emirates Golf Club with a two-shot lead following a gutsy one-under par 71 on Saturday, but there are plenty of starry challengers well within reach.
He has two for company in the final three-ball: Rory McIlroy, a four-time major champion and twice winner of the event, while Tommy Fleetwood, the 2017 Race to Dubai champion, makes up the trio.
At 10-under par, McIlroy is the closest man to Harding, and undeniably the grandest threat. Fleetwood sits on 9-under alongside another South African, Erik van Rooyen.
Van Rooyen's penultimate group also contains Paul Casey, the tournament's defending champion, and a Tyrrell Hatton seeking a record fifth Rolex Series victory. Those two are part of a 6-man band only four back.
After that? Well, three-time major champion Padraig Harrington and three-time European Order of Merit winner Lee Westwood, no less, on 7-under.
Yet Harding, who has two wins thus far on the circuit, didn’t seem too fussed about what lay ahead on Sunday.
“Just another day at the office, really, to be fair,” he said.
To some extent, Harding could claim to have proved his mettle already. On Saturday, at one point he lost the lead to Hatton, but he rallied with successive birdies on 12 and 13 to seize back the summit.
Hatton, meanwhile, began around then a run of four dropped shots in four holes - he double-bogeyed the par-3 15th - to sign for an ultimately disappointing 73. For his part, McIlroy mixed four birdies and a sublime eagle with three bogeys.
Even Westwood, one of the most experienced guys in the field and owner of 25 European Tour titles, came unstuck. Two off the lead playing the last, the Englishman carded what might well eventually be deemed a fatal triple-bogey.
Harding’s round, aside from the sole blemish on 8, was in comparison relatively uneventful.
“I'm quite happy,” he said. "I played quite solid. It was a difficult day, and some tough pins to get at. There were times when I didn't quite put the ball in play, and I couldn't really go anywhere near them. The one bogey made was from long range with the putter - a bit disappointing. Would have loved to have snuck one coming in, at 17 or 18, but I was happy with those.
“Look, at the end of the day, I've just got to go out and keep doing what I'm doing, and make a couple birdies and shoot 70, 69, something like that, and make them shoot 5- or 6-under par. And if they do, credit to them.”
McIlroy’s Saturday summation made Harding’s round sound all the more impressive.
“It was a bit of a battling day,” said the world No 8 following his 3-under 69. “I think everyone felt the same thing. It's tricky out there, a bit of breeze, firm greens, pins are tucked away. It's almost better off to have a 50-footer on the green than hit a good shot and then it run offs the green and you're chipping onto those firm greens.
“So there's a lot of tactics out there, and just sort of A to B and trying to put yourself in the right spots. Overall, I thought anything in the 60s today was a good score.”
Champion in 2009 – his first professional win – and 2015, McIlroy could become only the second player to capture the Classic three times. Ernie Els is the other.
“Yeah, I'm excited,” McIlroy said. “Had a really good chance in 2018 and let it slip through my fingers there when Li Haotong won. Good to give myself another opportunity.
“There's a great atmosphere out there today. Hopefully another great atmosphere tomorrow. I mean, I've played in a lot of final groups here, so it's nothing new to me at this point and I'm excited for it.
“It would be nice to get another win, especially here in Dubai. But it's obviously nice to get a win anywhere early in the season. I've just got to go out there tomorrow and try to play a good round of golf and hopefully it's good enough.”
Fleetwood makes up the final threesome having finished his second round with two birdies for a 69. Even if he described it as “frustrating for the most point”.
“You want to make the most of it when you play well, but just want all aspects of your game to fire at the right time, really,” Fleetwood said. “I feel absolutely fine. It's tough to stay patient sometimes when you're playing well and you don't make the most of it.
“Felt kind of proud of how I did that today. Felt like I stuck in. It would have been very easy to get overly frustrated and you give a couple more shots away. Happy with that.
“Looking on today, I'm so excited about playing tomorrow and getting the juices flowing on a Sunday and seeing how my game goes. I would love to be competing down that back stretch and who knows, might be my week, might not be, but excited where my game is heading.”
As for Sunday’s mindset, Fleetwood said: “Try my best. Stay on task, which is much more of a long-term project, I guess, trying to get my game back to where I want to be, and I've got a chance to do it under a bit more pressure rather than going out on Sunday - excited to see what the day brings."
Springtime in a Broken Mirror,
Mario Benedetti, Penguin Modern Classics
Profile of Hala Insurance
Date Started: September 2018
Founders: Walid and Karim Dib
Based: Abu Dhabi
Employees: Nine
Amount raised: $1.2 million
Funders: Oman Technology Fund, AB Accelerator, 500 Startups, private backers
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Types of fraud
Phishing: Fraudsters send an unsolicited email that appears to be from a financial institution or online retailer. The hoax email requests that you provide sensitive information, often by clicking on to a link leading to a fake website.
Smishing: The SMS equivalent of phishing. Fraudsters falsify the telephone number through “text spoofing,” so that it appears to be a genuine text from the bank.
Vishing: The telephone equivalent of phishing and smishing. Fraudsters may pose as bank staff, police or government officials. They may persuade the consumer to transfer money or divulge personal information.
SIM swap: Fraudsters duplicate the SIM of your mobile number without your knowledge or authorisation, allowing them to conduct financial transactions with your bank.
Identity theft: Someone illegally obtains your confidential information, through various ways, such as theft of your wallet, bank and utility bill statements, computer intrusion and social networks.
Prize scams: Fraudsters claiming to be authorised representatives from well-known organisations (such as Etisalat, du, Dubai Shopping Festival, Expo2020, Lulu Hypermarket etc) contact victims to tell them they have won a cash prize and request them to share confidential banking details to transfer the prize money.
* Nada El Sawy
The Pope's itinerary
Sunday, February 3, 2019 - Rome to Abu Dhabi
1pm: departure by plane from Rome / Fiumicino to Abu Dhabi
10pm: arrival at Abu Dhabi Presidential Airport
Monday, February 4
12pm: welcome ceremony at the main entrance of the Presidential Palace
12.20pm: visit Abu Dhabi Crown Prince at Presidential Palace
5pm: private meeting with Muslim Council of Elders at Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque
6.10pm: Inter-religious in the Founder's Memorial
Tuesday, February 5 - Abu Dhabi to Rome
9.15am: private visit to undisclosed cathedral
10.30am: public mass at Zayed Sports City – with a homily by Pope Francis
12.40pm: farewell at Abu Dhabi Presidential Airport
1pm: departure by plane to Rome
5pm: arrival at the Rome / Ciampino International Airport
What vitamins do we know are beneficial for living in the UAE
Vitamin D: Highly relevant in the UAE due to limited sun exposure; supports bone health, immunity and mood.
Vitamin B12: Important for nerve health and energy production, especially for vegetarians, vegans and individuals with absorption issues.
Iron: Useful only when deficiency or anaemia is confirmed; helps reduce fatigue and support immunity.
Omega-3 (EPA/DHA): Supports heart health and reduces inflammation, especially for those who consume little fish.
Company Profile
Company name: Yeepeey
Started: Soft launch in November, 2020
Founders: Sagar Chandiramani, Jatin Sharma and Monish Chandiramani
Based: Dubai
Industry: E-grocery
Initial investment: $150,000
Future plan: Raise $1.5m and enter Saudi Arabia next year
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SM Town Live is on Friday, April 6 at Autism Rocks Arena, Dubai. Tickets are Dh375 at www.platinumlist.net
Small Victories: The True Story of Faith No More by Adrian Harte
Jawbone Press
All Blacks line-up for third Test
J Barrett; I Dagg, A Lienert-Brown, N Laumape, J Savea; B Barrett, A Smith; J Moody, C Taylor, O Franks, B Retallick, S Whitelock, J Kaino, S Cane, K Read (capt).
Replacements: N Harris, W Crockett, C Faumuina, S Barrett, A Savea, TJ Perenara, A Cruden, M Fekitoa.
The bio
Favourite food: Japanese
Favourite car: Lamborghini
Favourite hobby: Football
Favourite quote: If your dreams don’t scare you, they are not big enough
Favourite country: UAE
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Barbie
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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.
Moonfall
Director: Rolan Emmerich
Stars: Patrick Wilson, Halle Berry
Rating: 3/5
'Munich: The Edge of War'
Director: Christian Schwochow
Starring: George MacKay, Jannis Niewohner, Jeremy Irons
Rating: 3/5
Racecard
5pm: Al Maha Stables – Maiden (PA) Dh80,000 (Turf) 1,600m
5.30pm: Wathba Stallions Cup – Maiden (PA) Dh70,000 (T) 1,600m
6pm: Emirates Fillies Classic – Prestige (PA) Dh100,000 (T) 1,600m
6.30pm: Emirates Colts Classic – Prestige (PA) Dh100,000 (T) 1,600m
7pm: The President’s Cup – Group 1 (PA) Dh2,500,000 (T) 2,200m
7.30pm: The President’s Cup – Listed (TB) Dh380,000 (T) 1,400m
ACC 2019: The winners in full
Best Actress Maha Alemi, Sofia
Best Actor Mohamed Dhrif, Weldi
Best Screenplay Meryem Benm’Barek, Sofia
Best Documentary Of Fathers and Sons by Talal Derki
Best Film Yomeddine by Abu Bakr Shawky
Best Director Nadine Labaki, Capernaum
The Florida Project
Director: Sean Baker
Starring: Bria Vinaite, Brooklynn Prince, Willem Dafoe
Four stars
RACE CARD
6.30pm: Handicap (Turf) US$175,000 1,000m
7.05pm: Al Bastakiya Trial Conditions (Dirt) $100,000 1,900m
7.40pm: Al Rashidiya Group 2 (T) $250,000 1,800m
8.15pm: Handicap (D) $135,000 2,000m
8.50pm: Al Fahidi Fort Group 2 (T) $250,000 1,400m
9.25pm: Handicap (T) $135,000 2,410m.
Poland Statement
All people fleeing from Ukraine before the armed conflict are allowed to enter Poland. Our country shelters every person whose life is in danger - regardless of their nationality.
The dominant group of refugees in Poland are citizens of Ukraine, but among the people checked by the Border Guard are also citizens of the USA, Nigeria, India, Georgia and other countries.
All persons admitted to Poland are verified by the Border Guard. In relation to those who are in doubt, e.g. do not have documents, Border Guard officers apply appropriate checking procedures.
No person who has received refuge in Poland will be sent back to a country torn by war.
The specs
Common to all models unless otherwise stated
Engine: 4-cylinder 2-litre T-GDi
0-100kph: 5.3 seconds (Elantra); 5.5 seconds (Kona); 6.1 seconds (Veloster)
Power: 276hp
Torque: 392Nm
Transmission: 6-Speed Manual/ 8-Speed Dual Clutch FWD
Price: TBC
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MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League final:
Who: Real Madrid v Liverpool
Where: NSC Olimpiyskiy Stadium, Kiev, Ukraine
When: Saturday, May 26, 10.45pm (UAE)
TV: Match on BeIN Sports
Prop idols
Girls full-contact rugby may be in its infancy in the Middle East, but there are already a number of role models for players to look up to.
Sophie Shams (Dubai Exiles mini, England sevens international)
An Emirati student who is blazing a trail in rugby. She first learnt the game at Dubai Exiles and captained her JESS Primary school team. After going to study geophysics at university in the UK, she scored a sensational try in a cup final at Twickenham. She has played for England sevens, and is now contracted to top Premiership club Saracens.
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Seren Gough-Walters (Sharjah Wanderers mini, Wales rugby league international)
Few players anywhere will have taken a more circuitous route to playing rugby on Sky Sports. Gough-Walters was born in Al Wasl Hospital in Dubai, raised in Sharjah, did not take up rugby seriously till she was 15, has a master’s in global governance and ethics, and once worked as an immigration officer at the British Embassy in Abu Dhabi. In the summer of 2021 she played for Wales against England in rugby league, in a match that was broadcast live on TV.
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Erin King (Dubai Hurricanes mini, Ireland sevens international)
Aged five, Australia-born King went to Dubai Hurricanes training at The Sevens with her brothers. She immediately struck up a deep affection for rugby. She returned to the city at the end of last year to play at the Dubai Rugby Sevens in the colours of Ireland in the Women’s World Series tournament on Pitch 1.
