Today's Edition
Kuumar Shyam (Dubai) - The four-day golf season finale of Europe here in Dubai – the DP World Tour Championship (DPWTC) – saw a lot of action on and off the field with celebrities flying in to watch European Tour’s top-50 golfers in action. And there were also a few frustrating, yet funny moments for some players at the tournament also billed as “the Greatest Show on Earth”, a play on words around the Earth Course at the Jumeirah Golf Estates.
It started with none other than Rory McIlroy, the leader of the pack and whose’s title grip was sealed before the tournament began. Nonetheless, his tee shot from the par-3 13th start hit the trees and landed on the lap of a woman lazing around on the golfing fairway. Unsure of unwittingly becoming the villain, she kept her legs crossed firmly until McIlroy approached.
He also came and played along as if he will go and take the shot from that position. Thankfully, the rules and the referee allowed McIlroy to pick up the ball, letting the lady go and then take a free drop from that position.
The trees became a bigger nuisance for Joost Luiten on Day 4 on Sunday. After an opening round of 5-over, he had three more bogeys on the first nine. That included the ball just getting lodged onto a tree branch. He tried getting the ball by throwing his club at it, but that got stuck too.
He ended up giving three clubs, kicking his golf bag in frustration. He fought back with three birdies and a bogey on the back nine to end the day at 1-over. “Thankfully, volunteers retrieved the clubs for as I moved on from there. It would have been embarrassing for me to play with 11 clubs. But that kinds of sums up my week very well,” said Luiten with a grin later.
