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Post by paddyjk19 on Apr 3, 2021 11:22:55 GMT
Week 30:Dubai Desert Classic @ The Emirates Golf Club Week 30 sees the USE land in the Middle East for the start of the desert swing, the players will tee it up at the Emirates Golf Club to battle it out for the Dubai Desert Classic after a couple of lovely events down under. The flagship course at Emirates Golf Club, The Majlis championship course is a challenging par 72, 7,301-yard layout. Designed by Florida-based course architect Karl Litten, the original 18 holes were built in and around the dunes of a beautiful site on the edge of the city of Dubai, donated by His Highness General Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, on whose instructions the desert flora was maintained in its natural state. The Majlis course has developed a worthy reputation worldwide as a testing layout for even the best golfers. The course features hundreds of indigenous species of flora and fauna, beautifully complemented by meandering fairways and seven fresh and saltwater lakes. The Majlis, the first grass course in the Middle East, takes its name from the Arabic word for 'meeting place'. One of the most prominent features on the course is the Majlis building itself positioned between the 8th and 9th holes and a Dubai landmark since 1988.
The OMEGA Dubai Desert Classic was born in 1989 and is regarded as one of the European Tour’s most historic events that has helped to pave the way for golfs presence in the Middle East and create some of the most iconic moments in golf history. Promoted and organised by Falcon and Associates, the tournament is fondly referred to as the ‘Major of the Middle East,’ because of its legacy and world-class field that it attracts every year. The roll of honour includes 10 different Major Champions. They are: Seve Ballesteros (1992), Ernie Els (1994, 02, 05), Fred Couples (1995), José Maria Olazábal (1998), Mark O’Meara (2004), Tiger Woods (2006, 08), Rory McIlroy (2009, 15), Henrik Stenson (2007), Danny Willett (2016) and Sergio Garcia (2017). Between them, they have won 35 Major Championships. South African great Els has played 16 times on the Majlis course. In that time, he has recorded three victories, nine top threes. Of his 58 rounds on the Majlis course he is a total of 188 under par. Els set the current course record of 61 (-11) on the opening day in 1994, which contained a European Tour record of 12 birdies in a single round. Rory McIlroy, who was forced to pull out in 2017 because of a rib injury, is now 118 under par for his last eight appearances on the Majlis course that have yielded a first in 2009, sixth in 2010, tenth in 2011, fifth in 2012, ninth in 2014, first in 2015, sixth in 2016 and second in 2018. At 19 years and 273 days, McIlroy became the youngest winner of the OMEGA Dubai Desert Classic 2009, beating the previous record of England’s David Howell, who had won the 1999 edition when he was 23 years and 236 days old. Since making his first visit to Dubai in 2001, Woods has won the tournament twice. He is 87-under-par for the 29 rounds that he has played on the Majlis course. The former world number one was forced to pull out in 2017 because of a back problem just before the start of his second round.
Weather Forecast You won't be surprised to hear that rain is not expected this week in the Desert, it is expected to be clear and bright for all four days. Thursday and Friday are expected to be fairly calm although there are reports of a change in wind over the weekend which could see strong breezes drying the course out and potentially conditions getting very firm and fast by Sunday. |
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Post by artvandelay on Apr 4, 2021 6:38:58 GMT
Here is a shocker: Very firm and fast by Sunday.
Why wait? Surprised we are not playing all four rounds on greens so fast it is like trying to stop a putt on marble tile. With no grout. Because THAT would be fun!
Onward.
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roggro
Junior Member
Posts: 56 
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Post by roggro on Apr 4, 2021 10:11:40 GMT
What a difference a week can make (or even a day in this case). The greens were much easier to read for me than RM last week. Also my approach shots were much closer to the hole. I also played more conservatively than normal, but therefore avoided any disaster holes. I only 3 putted from 5ft at the 6th. But that was the only real mistake I made today. This all resulted in a score of -4 in round 1. Of course I am very satisfied with that.  |
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Post by nonusehki on Apr 4, 2021 11:40:30 GMT
First round was good golf, couple of bogeys but lots of birdies. Feeling even more comfortable shaping the shots with slightly manipulating shot tempo and messing with lofting & delofting. Second round was weird... It didn't feel like I had the chance to go low at all, many times I was putting from above and just trying to lag it close. Anyway, chipped in at 3rd for an eagle 3... Made a good putt on 10th after a pin-high 3i approach for another eagle 3... Great faded drive on 17th, drove the green and almost holed out, tap-in eagle 2... At some point I had another chip-in for a birdie. Also I think it was on par 5 13th I had ~140m left for my second shot after taking the tiger-line and cutting the corner with my drive, that was another great chance for an eagle I didn't use, instead went to miss the green from there (?). It felt absurd putting for fourth eagle of the round on the 18th.   |
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Apr 4, 2021 12:21:00 GMT
Here is a shocker: Very firm and fast by Sunday. Why wait? Surprised we are not playing all four rounds on greens so fast it is like trying to stop a putt on marble tile. With no grout. Because THAT would be fun! Onward. LOL, conditions like this make it tough on an older hacker like me! On the bright side there is no rain!  |
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Apr 4, 2021 17:40:37 GMT
I was out on the course early this morning. I didn't see colly but I ran into nonusehki and decided to tee it up with him. We had a great match back and forth the entire round. We both made some great shots and missed some putts we should have made. I missed a 6ft putt for birdie on 18. I read more break than it had. I really enjoyed the round. After peeking ahead I don't think I will hanging with him in R2 lol.  |
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Post by colly on Apr 4, 2021 23:33:14 GMT
Round 1 was yet another very inconsistent round for myself.My game is regressing steadily by the week at the moment 🙃
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Post by wimigbg on Apr 5, 2021 8:38:25 GMT
Round 1 on this very enjoyable course. Played with charles56 and we both were very steady around the course. I didn't miss a fairway until the par 5 13th when I tried to take the shortcut over the trees. Probably in chock after that I putt a 3W in the rough on the next hole and that lead to my only bogie. Other than that, had most birdie putts inside 15 feet and some rolled in. Charles didn't fair as well on the greens, but after safely made par on the first 6, he almost went into the water on the par 3 7th only to chip in his first birdie of the day. I saw some good chipping here and there after that. We both played really well tee to green. And so far, all PC players under par. Never seen that before!   |
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roggro
Junior Member
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Post by roggro on Apr 5, 2021 8:49:22 GMT
Well it did not last long that all PC players are under par  . Golf is such a cruel game. The moment you think you might maybe begin to master it, it puts you down again. Nothing went right today. A complete disaster, +11 for the round. The less said about it the better. But I should bounce back the next round. |
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Post by artvandelay on Apr 5, 2021 11:08:10 GMT
Well it did not last long that all PC players are under par . Not all have started. Just you wait and see! Onward. |
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Post by Tuffguts on Apr 5, 2021 13:05:34 GMT
Knocked 'em out tonight.
-5, -4, -3, -1 = -13 total
Progressively worse as the conditions got firmer. Greens were a battle throughout, even the slow ones. Ran quite a few chips well past the hole. Long putts were a lottery....missed a lot by several feet. Could see the break sort of but the amount of break was tricky....perhaps the texture or lighting?? Dunno.
Anyway, score is posted so good luck all.
Will miss the next 2 weeks...flying to work Thursday then back for 24 hours the following week before jetting off on holiday to the Kimberleys of WA for 9 days....first decent holiday with the missus for eons......25th wedding anniversary. Was going to be an overseas jaunt but Covid will see me holiday in my own backyard....2500km away.
Cheers and see yaz in week 33.
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Post by artvandelay on Apr 5, 2021 13:44:36 GMT
Knocked 'em out tonight. -5, -4, -3, -1 = -13 total Progressively worse as the conditions got firmer. Greens were a battle throughout, even the slow ones. Ran quite a few chips well past the hole. Long putts were a lottery....missed a lot by several feet. Could see the break sort of but the amount of break was tricky....perhaps the texture or lighting?? Dunno. Anyway, score is posted so good luck all. Will miss the next 2 weeks...flying to work Thursday then back for 24 hours the following week before jetting off on holiday to the Kimberleys of WA for 9 days....first decent holiday with the missus for eons......25th wedding anniversary. Was going to be an overseas jaunt but Covid will see me holiday in my own backyard....2500km away. Cheers and see yaz in week 33. 25!!! Congrats Todd, enjoy the break. Hope you two have a great time. |
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Apr 5, 2021 17:07:38 GMT
I finished my rounds at the Emirates G.C. Btw that translates to, I'm Irate! My scorecards were much to bloody to post lol. I went into the 4th round at even par. The course took me behind the woodshed and gave me a good old fashioned beat down! The 4th round did start and end on a high note. I holed out for eagle on #1 and birdied #18. A few water balls, lip outs and some tempo issues resulted in a +9 for the round and tournament.  |
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Post by SimChars1968 on Apr 5, 2021 17:35:33 GMT
Round 1. I'll settle for that after that start!  |
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Post by wimigbg on Apr 6, 2021 12:24:34 GMT
Round 2 and paired up with Gibbius Maximus. I had a day long fight with a draw/hook, but not too severe. A chip in and steady putting and that was a 65. My partner for the day was out driving me with a Taylor Made all day long when I had the junior bazooka Titleist. That's the big hook for you. And on the 6th he managed to hook it left into a palm tree and bounced further left. Still he hit his next from the middle of the fairway... The kind of luck we all want, hehe. Holding the PC lead half way of the ones played is something new for me. Even 2 shots ahead of last weeks winner and I'm getting nervous.   |
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. Golf is such a cruel game. The moment you think you might maybe begin to master it, it puts you down again. Nothing went right today. A complete disaster, +11 for the round. The less said about it the better. But I should bounce back the next round.
