Golf, by TourMiss

…. Fatiha Betscher, Dubai  Sergio Garcia is looking more noticeable than normal and looking more like a rock star in mirror sun-glasses he’s now wearing. Of course, Garcia’s been wearing sun-glasses for some time and the 42-year-old Masters champion indicated they are not being worn to look cool on the golf course, even after posting a bogey-free five-under-par 67 on the first day of the Slync.io Dubai Desert Classic. Garcia ended the opening round just two shots behind Dane J ...

….. Fatiha Betscher in Dubai Rory McIlroy walked the entire length of the practice putting green signing autographs after his ‘no frills’ round of a one-under-par 71 on the opening day of the Slync.io Dubai Desert Classic in Dubai. McIlroy, and scenes mirrored last Sunday in Abu Dhabi, must have signed close to 60 autographs for his waiting fans. What he didn’t do was choose not speak with the waiting media but in fairness to the double Dubai champion, there was not much to write home ...

Colin Montgomerie contests this week’s Slync.io Dubai Desert Classic missing the camaraderie, the banter, and his friends from two decades ago. Monty was 29-years old when he made his Dubai debut in 1989 and after being runner-up in 1995 to Fred Couples, who had won the Masters three years early, Monty broke through winning the 1996 Desert title. It was the Scot’s 10th of 31 victories on the European Tour. Monty competed each year until 2014, a year after he turned 50, and then headed to an ...

…. Fatiha Betscher, Dubai For those present, it was a strange sight of a curly-haired teenager, sporting a Jumeirah Beach resort cap, carrying a long lens camera following the Tiger Woods match on the opening day of the 2006 Dubai Desert Classic The curly-haired individual was a then 16-year-old amateur Rory McIlroy and competing in fourth event on the European Tour. Also competing that week on the European Tour was World No. 1 Woods. McIlroy, and already one of the top-ranked amateurs in ...

Long-time good friend Paul Casey is backing Luke Donald to be appointed 2023 European Ryder Captain later next year in Rome. Donald continues to firm as favourite to take over the European reins from Ireland’s Padraig Harrington despite the announcement of a new captain a little behind the normal pre-Christmas news. Casey joins the likes of Harrington, Henrik Stenson and Justin Rose each pinning their choice as Donald.  And with Lee Westwood ruling himself out, the Casey, and now aged 44, has ...

… by Fatiha Betscher, Dubai  World No. 2 Collin Morikawa contested both the PGA Tour year-opening Sentry Tournament of Champions in Hawaii and he also teed-up in last week’s first DP World Tour event of the New Year at the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship. Aside from the obvious geographical distance, there was a massive 23-stroke difference in the winning at 34-under par that set a new PGA Tour record-setting 72-hole score, and in the event won by Aussie Cam Smith shot to win on the Plantation ...

Shane Lowry buried the bitter disappointment of last Sunday’s final at the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship to unwind Monday playing the company of England football internationals Harry Maguire and Jordan Pickford at the Els Club in Dubai. Maguire in captain of Manchester United and Pickford is with Everton. Lowry went into the last round in Abu Dhabi just one shot off the lead as the Irishman looked to become a dual winner of the event though it wasn’t to be with Lowry posted a closing day ...