Rafa Cabrera-Bello, the 2012 winner of the Omega Dubai Desert Classic, is in contention to repeat the feat this year and is relaxed about his prospects for the weekend ahead.
Late surge
Ernie Els and Danny Willett were out early at Emirates Golf Club and led the field for most of the day on 9-under par, but Cabrera-Bello snatched top spot late in the afternoon with a birdie on the 18th. The Spaniard fired six birdies in all to card a 5-under-par 67. The chasing pack includes Trevor Fisher Jr, also one back. A group of four players are on 8 under.
Consistent
Cabrera-Bello began the season well, finishing tied-14th at the Abu Dhabi HSBC Golf Championship last month and a joint-second at last week’s Qatar Masters. The 31 year old has carried that momentum into Dubai, with a 67 following on from the same score in his opening round. He has just a solitary bogey in 36 holes.
[Pairings and tee times (UAE) for 2016 Omega Dubai Desert Classic — Round 3]
Really sharp
“I’m confident I’m doing all parts of the game well,” Cabrera-Bello said. “Today it was just a couple sloppy swings that maybe affected a little bit of the confidence, but I know my game is really sharp. I’m just enjoying golf. Worked hard over the break and I’m happy to be here competing again.”
Done it before
“Obviously having won here before, it’s a bonus,” he said. “When I’m out there and if it gets to the point of the last few holes on Sunday that I have a chance to win, I know I’ve done it before, so I can do it again. But what really makes a difference is knowing that my game is good, I’m confident and that I’ve had two good weeks and one really good finish.
Tactics
“My approach doesn’t change,” he said. “I mean, I know I’m leading but it’s just by a shot, and there’s a huge chasing pack of really great players. So I know I’m leading, but I don’t feel like I have much to say. I still have to go at it. Probably by the time I tee off tomorrow, I won’t be leading, so that’s the way I look at it.”
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WITHIN%20SAND
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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Company%20Profile
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Sarfira
Director: Sudha Kongara Prasad
Starring: Akshay Kumar, Radhika Madan, Paresh Rawal
Rating: 2/5
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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What is graphene?
Graphene is extracted from graphite and is made up of pure carbon.
It is 200 times more resistant than steel and five times lighter than aluminum.
It conducts electricity better than any other material at room temperature.
It is thought that graphene could boost the useful life of batteries by 10 per cent.
Graphene can also detect cancer cells in the early stages of the disease.
The material was first discovered when Andre Geim and Konstantin Novoselov were 'playing' with graphite at the University of Manchester in 2004.
New Zealand 21 British & Irish Lions 24
New Zealand
Penalties: Barrett (7)
British & Irish Lions
Tries: Faletau, Murray
Penalties: Farrell (4)
Conversions: Farrell
Israel Palestine on Swedish TV 1958-1989
Director: Goran Hugo Olsson
Rating: 5/5
Blackpink World Tour [Born Pink] In Cinemas
Starring: Rose, Jisoo, Jennie, Lisa
Directors: Min Geun, Oh Yoon-Dong
Rating: 3/5
Company Profile
Name: Thndr
Started: 2019
Co-founders: Ahmad Hammouda and Seif Amr
Sector: FinTech
Headquarters: Egypt
UAE base: Hub71, Abu Dhabi
Current number of staff: More than 150
Funds raised: $22 million
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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World Series
Game 1: Red Sox 8, Dodgers 4
Game 2: Red Sox 4, Dodgers 2
Game 3: Saturday (UAE)
* if needed
Game 4: Sunday
Game 5: Monday
Game 6: Wednesday
Game 7: Thursday
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MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League, last 16, first leg
Tottenham Hotspur v Borussia Dortmund, midnight (Thursday), BeIN Sports
'Operation Mincemeat'
Director: John Madden
Cast: Colin Firth, Matthew Macfayden, Kelly Macdonald and Penelope Wilton
Rating: 4/5
Score
Third Test, Day 1
New Zealand 229-7 (90 ov)
Pakistan
New Zealand won the toss and elected to bat