ST ANDREWS, Scotland // Rory McIlroy sets himself such high standards that a rare blemish on an outstanding first-round card at St Andrews occupied his reflective mind yesterday as much as a magnificent eagle and seven birdies.
The Northern Irishman is regarded as the strongest challenger to Tiger Woods at the 150th anniversary staging of the British Open and he demonstrated why as he set a sizzling early pace on nine under par.
After a steady start to his third Open, McIlroy sprang into life as he approached the turn. A booming drive on the ninth landed only 15 feet away from its flagstick target 352 yards away and a solid eagle putt proved to be the spur for a run of five birdies in the next six holes.
At that point he was contemplating breaking the record for the best round in a major championship and he had it within his grasp as he stood over another birdie putt from five feet on the extraordinarily difficult 17th.
"I remember watching Tiger at the US PGA in Tulsa and he lipped out for a 62," said McIlroy. "I started thinking to myself 'if I can birdie this hole I've got a chance of birdieing the last for a 62' and I suppose that's why I missed it."
The concluding birdie duly arrived in front of the gallery surrounding the 18th, leaving McIlroy, a former Dubai Desert Classic winner, as one of 24 players who share the best score in a major of 63. He stands alone, though, as holder of the lowest first-round score in the history of this showpiece event.
It also left him drawing comparisons with his record-breaking round of 61 at Royal Portrush, a few miles north of his Belfast home and an Open venue in 1951. "I think that round was better," he said, "because I was only 16 at the time."
McIlroy sensed, when he opened his hotel room curtains yesterday morning, that another good score was on the cards. He had gone to bed the previous evening fearing the worst after struggling to complete his final practice round in the wind and rain on Wednesday.
"When I looked out the window it was perfect," he said
"No wind, grey skies, but no rain. I just knew that the scoring was going to be good and that I had to take advantage of the conditions. You are never going to get St Andrews playing any easier than this."
McIlroy's nine-under-par 63 extended a remarkable sequence of scoring for the youngster at the course in east Scotland.
He has now completed nine competitive rounds on the Old Course, six times as an amateur and has been in the 60s on each occasion. "I've been very lucky with the weather here," he said apologetically.
It looked as though McIlroy was going to have company holding the clubhouse lead as South Africa's Louis Oosthuizen hit a similar hot streak midway through his opening round.
Oosthuizen went from one under to six under in the space of six holes and then got to within a stroke of McIlroy with successive birdies at the 14th and 15th. Like the early first day leader John Daly, however, his momentum was interrupted by a bogey at the 17th Road Hole and he had to settle for a 65.
"There were a lot of birdies to be had out there early on but it got a bit windy from the 12th onwards," said Oosthuizen. "So I was very happy to keep it going. I've been playing well for a while now."
Shortly after Oosthuizen signed his seven-under-par card, the wretched weather that spoiled the pre-tournament anniversary celebrations returned to make it even harder for those still on the course to catch McIlroy.
Among the late starters was England's Lee Westwood, who had roared in contention with five birdies in a row. But his charge stalled in the worst of the conditions and he had to settle for a 67, four shots off the pace.
Between the world No 3 and second-placed Oosthuizen were Daly and a trio of Britons - Andrew Coltart, Steven Tiley and Bradley Dredge - sharing third place on six under par.
@Email:wjohnson@thenational.ae
THE SPECS
Range Rover Sport Autobiography Dynamic
Engine: 5.0-litre supercharged V8
Transmission: six-speed manual
Power: 518bhp
Torque: 625Nm
Speed: 0-100kmh 5.3 seconds
Price: Dh633,435
On sale: now
BEETLEJUICE BEETLEJUICE
Starring: Winona Ryder, Michael Keaton, Jenny Ortega
Director: Tim Burton
Rating: 3/5
Top investing tips for UAE residents in 2021
Build an emergency fund: Make sure you have enough cash to cover six months of expenses as a buffer against unexpected problems before you begin investing, advises Steve Cronin, the founder of DeadSimpleSaving.com.
Think long-term: When you invest, you need to have a long-term mindset, so don’t worry about momentary ups and downs in the stock market.
Invest worldwide: Diversify your investments globally, ideally by way of a global stock index fund.
Is your money tied up: Avoid anything where you cannot get your money back in full within a month at any time without any penalty.
Skip past the promises: “If an investment product is offering more than 10 per cent return per year, it is either extremely risky or a scam,” Mr Cronin says.
Choose plans with low fees: Make sure that any funds you buy do not charge more than 1 per cent in fees, Mr Cronin says. “If you invest by yourself, you can easily stay below this figure.” Managed funds and commissionable investments often come with higher fees.
Be sceptical about recommendations: If someone suggests an investment to you, ask if they stand to gain, advises Mr Cronin. “If they are receiving commission, they are unlikely to recommend an investment that’s best for you.”
Get financially independent: Mr Cronin advises UAE residents to pursue financial independence. Start with a Google search and improve your knowledge via expat investing websites or Facebook groups such as SimplyFI.
Company%20Profile
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The Perfect Couple
Starring: Nicole Kidman, Liev Schreiber, Jack Reynor
Creator: Jenna Lamia
Rating: 3/5
Company%20profile
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MATCH INFO
Euro 2020 qualifier
Ukraine 2 (Yaremchuk 06', Yarmolenko 27')
Portugal 1 (Ronaldo 72' pen)
'Gehraiyaan'
Director:Shakun Batra
Stars:Deepika Padukone, Siddhant Chaturvedi, Ananya Panday, Dhairya Karwa
Rating: 4/5
Infobox
Western Region Asia Cup Qualifier, Al Amerat, Oman
The two finalists advance to the next stage of qualifying, in Malaysia in August
Results
UAE beat Iran by 10 wickets
Kuwait beat Saudi Arabia by eight wickets
Oman beat Bahrain by nine wickets
Qatar beat Maldives by 106 runs
Monday fixtures
UAE v Kuwait, Iran v Saudi Arabia, Oman v Qatar, Maldives v Bahrain
The specs
Engine: 1.5-litre 4-cylinder petrol
Power: 154bhp
Torque: 250Nm
Transmission: 7-speed automatic with 8-speed sports option
Price: From Dh79,600
On sale: Now
How tumultuous protests grew
- A fuel tax protest by French drivers appealed to wider anti-government sentiment
- Unlike previous French demonstrations there was no trade union or organised movement involved
- Demonstrators responded to online petitions and flooded squares to block traffic
- At its height there were almost 300,000 on the streets in support
- Named after the high visibility jackets that drivers must keep in cars
- Clashes soon turned violent as thousands fought with police at cordons
- An estimated two dozen people lost eyes and many others were admitted to hospital
How to protect yourself when air quality drops
Install an air filter in your home.
Close your windows and turn on the AC.
Shower or bath after being outside.
Wear a face mask.
Stay indoors when conditions are particularly poor.
If driving, turn your engine off when stationary.
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UK%20record%20temperature
%3Cp%3E38.7C%20(101.7F)%20set%20in%20Cambridge%20in%202019%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cyl, 48V hybrid
Transmission: eight-speed automatic
Power: 325bhp
Torque: 450Nm
Price: Dh289,000
Race card
4pm Al Bastakiya Listed US$300,000 (Dirt) 1,900m
4.35pm Mahab Al Shimaal Group 3 $350,000 (D) 1,200m
5.10pm Nad Al Sheba Turf Group 3 $350,000 (Turf) 1,200m
5.45pm Burj Nahaar Group 3 $350,000 (D) 1,600m
6.20pm Jebel Hatta Group 1 $400,000 (T) 1,800m
6.55pm Al Maktoum Challenge Round-3 Group 1 $600,000 (D) 2,000m
7.30pm Dubai City Of Gold Group 2 $350,000 (T) 2,410m
The National selections:
4pm Zabardast
4.35pm Ibn Malik
5.10pm Space Blues
5.45pm Kimbear
6.20pm Barney Roy
6.55pm Matterhorn
7.30pm Defoe
'Tell the Machine Goodnight' by Katie Williams
Penguin Randomhouse
Tips for taking the metro
- set out well ahead of time
- make sure you have at least Dh15 on you Nol card, as there could be big queues for top-up machines
- enter the right cabin. The train may be too busy to move between carriages once you're on
- don't carry too much luggage and tuck it under a seat to make room for fellow passengers
