DUBAI // As the current top dog in the 2014 Race to Dubai, Thomas Bjorn should rightfully be focused on what lies over the horizon.
Yet, such is the Dane’s affinity with the Omega Dubai Desert Classic, and the emirate as a whole, that he could be found this week reminiscing about events long past.
Saying that, rejogging the memory was certainly merited. It was at Emirates Golf Club, way back in 2001, that Bjorn derailed golf’s runaway freight train, defeating a seemingly bulletproof Tiger Woods to capture the coffee pot trophy.
“That week was pretty special,” Bjorn said.
And so it was. Then a Dubai resident, he was paired with Woods for all four rounds, matching the world No 1 almost shot-for-shot as the pair dominated the leaderboard throughout. By close of play Saturday, Woods was atop the heap, one stroke ahead of Bjorn.
“The tournament built around us,” Bjorn said. “It became a two-man battle for a lot of it.”
That it did, although with a caveat. A talented player with five European Tour victories already he may have been, but in that particular skirmish Bjorn represented the clear underdog. Woods was the game’s kingpin, coming off a career-defining, nine-win 2000. He was in the midst of capturing the wraparound Grand Slam, too. So a 54-hole lead usually meant they could hand out the prizes early.
“There was the big fear factor of playing with Tiger at that time,” Bjorn said. “He was expected to win every time he teed it up. But the whole week I played some of the best golf I’ve ever done, and felt if I could just hang onto his shirttails, you never know what happens on the last few holes.”
The penultimate hole, in fact. Both found the green at the par-4 17th in two, where Woods missed a 12-footer for birdie; Bjorn rattled home from 10 feet to draw level on 22 under. It proved a popular putt.
“I’d got a lot of friends in Dubai,” Bjorn said. “I could hear the roar from the clubhouse all the way to the green.”
The decibel count rose again on 18. With Bjorn in the middle of the fairway, Woods’s drive found the trees and his second scuttled across the short stuff. Scrambling for salvation, his third got wet in the greenside lake, as Woods sunk to a double-bogey seven. Bjorn’s par clinched the event.
“Tiger never made mistakes then, but he did to hand me the title,” said Bjorn, who unsurprisingly ranks that week as among his finest as a pro.
“It was four days with him, at that moment in time, that would stand as something any player would treasure.”
Indian golfer Bhullar continues to learn from the best
Some have described unsuccessful attempts to win tournaments as a “learning experience”.
That was certainly the case for rising Indian player Gaganjeet Bhullar, a 25-year-old rookie, who played in the last group of the final round of the Abu Dhabi HSBC Golf Championship alongside runner-up Phil Mickelson this month.
“I was very impressed with his mental attitude,” said Bhullar, who finished joint-10th and is playing this week in Dubai.
“Sundays are such a big deal, and he was there mentally for the whole 18 holes. That’s what separates the winners from guys who are second or third.”
jmcauley@thenational.ae
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The specs
Engine: 3-litre twin-turbo V6
Power: 400hp
Torque: 475Nm
Transmission: 9-speed automatic
Price: From Dh215,900
On sale: Now
The specs
Engine: Dual 180kW and 300kW front and rear motors
Power: 480kW
Torque: 850Nm
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Price: From Dh359,900 ($98,000)
On sale: Now
Company%20profile
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COMPANY PROFILE
Founders: Alhaan Ahmed, Alyina Ahmed and Maximo Tettamanzi
Total funding: Self funded
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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Business Insights
- As per the document, there are six filing options, including choosing to report on a realisation basis and transitional rules for pre-tax period gains or losses.
- SMEs with revenue below Dh3 million per annum can opt for transitional relief until 2026, treating them as having no taxable income.
- Larger entities have specific provisions for asset and liability movements, business restructuring, and handling foreign permanent establishments.
What is blockchain?
Blockchain is a form of distributed ledger technology, a digital system in which data is recorded across multiple places at the same time. Unlike traditional databases, DLTs have no central administrator or centralised data storage. They are transparent because the data is visible and, because they are automatically replicated and impossible to be tampered with, they are secure.
The main difference between blockchain and other forms of DLT is the way data is stored as ‘blocks’ – new transactions are added to the existing ‘chain’ of past transactions, hence the name ‘blockchain’. It is impossible to delete or modify information on the chain due to the replication of blocks across various locations.
Blockchain is mostly associated with cryptocurrency Bitcoin. Due to the inability to tamper with transactions, advocates say this makes the currency more secure and safer than traditional systems. It is maintained by a network of people referred to as ‘miners’, who receive rewards for solving complex mathematical equations that enable transactions to go through.
However, one of the major problems that has come to light has been the presence of illicit material buried in the Bitcoin blockchain, linking it to the dark web.
Other blockchain platforms can offer things like smart contracts, which are automatically implemented when specific conditions from all interested parties are reached, cutting the time involved and the risk of mistakes. Another use could be storing medical records, as patients can be confident their information cannot be changed. The technology can also be used in supply chains, voting and has the potential to used for storing property records.
From Zero
Artist: Linkin Park
Label: Warner Records
Number of tracks: 11
Rating: 4/5
Company%20Profile
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Cricket World Cup League 2
UAE squad
Rahul Chopra (captain), Aayan Afzal Khan, Ali Naseer, Aryansh Sharma, Basil Hameed, Dhruv Parashar, Junaid Siddique, Muhammad Farooq, Muhammad Jawadullah, Muhammad Waseem, Omid Rahman, Rahul Bhatia, Tanish Suri, Vishnu Sukumaran, Vriitya Aravind
Fixtures
Friday, November 1 – Oman v UAE
Sunday, November 3 – UAE v Netherlands
Thursday, November 7 – UAE v Oman
Saturday, November 9 – Netherlands v UAE
Sholto Byrnes on Myanmar politics
The specs
Engine: 2.7-litre 4-cylinder Turbomax
Power: 310hp
Torque: 583Nm
Transmission: 8-speed automatic
Price: From Dh192,500
On sale: Now
Company%20Profile
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Martin Sabbagh profile
Job: CEO JCDecaux Middle East
In the role: Since January 2015
Lives: In the UAE
Background: M&A, investment banking
Studied: Corporate finance
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre turbo 4-cyl
Transmission: eight-speed auto
Power: 190bhp
Torque: 300Nm
Price: Dh169,900
On sale: now
SPEC%20SHEET
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The specs
Engine: 77.4kW all-wheel-drive dual motor
Power: 320bhp
Torque: 605Nm
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Price: From Dh219,000
On sale: Now
The specs
Engine: Long-range single or dual motor with 200kW or 400kW battery
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Max touring range: 620km / 590km
Price: From Dh250,000 (estimated)
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League semi-final, first leg
Bayern Munich v Real Madrid
When: April 25, 10.45pm kick-off (UAE)
Where: Allianz Arena, Munich
Live: BeIN Sports HD
Second leg: May 1, Santiago Bernabeu, Madrid
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Qyubic
Started: October 2023
Founder: Namrata Raina
Based: Dubai
Sector: E-commerce
Current number of staff: 10
Investment stage: Pre-seed
Initial investment: Undisclosed
WHAT%20MACRO%20FACTORS%20ARE%20IMPACTING%20META%20TECH%20MARKETS%3F
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UAE central contracts
Full time contracts
Rohan Mustafa, Ahmed Raza, Mohammed Usman, Chirag Suri, Mohammed Boota, Sultan Ahmed, Zahoor Khan, Junaid Siddique, Waheed Ahmed, Zawar Farid
Part time contracts
Aryan Lakra, Ansh Tandon, Karthik Meiyappan, Rahul Bhatia, Alishan Sharafu, CP Rizwaan, Basil Hameed, Matiullah, Fahad Nawaz, Sanchit Sharma
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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Nayanthara: Beyond The Fairy Tale
Starring: Nayanthara, Vignesh Shivan, Radhika Sarathkumar, Nagarjuna Akkineni
Director: Amith Krishnan
Rating: 3.5/5
