DUBAI // Felicity Johnson put herself in pole position to win the Omega Dubai Ladies Masters, then had to settle for a tie for seventh.
The Englishwoman, who last tasted victory way back in 2011, was the overnight leader of the abbreviated 54-hole tournament going into Saturday’s final round and soon stretched that advantage to four shots, but she dropped five strokes in four holes to slide down the field.
It meant the wait for win No 3 on the Ladies European Tour rumbles on, although Johnson was commendably upbeat afterwards, all things considered. Maybe it was just that a disappointing 2016 had finally drawn to a close.
“I’ve kind of wanted this year to end,” said Johnson, whose season, Dubai included, contained two top-10s in Europe and a slew of missed cuts on the LPGA in America. “On and off the golf course it hasn’t been a great year, so to finish this way, it does epitomise it, but there’s some positive stuff to take into a fresh season.”
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Much like her campaign, there had been flecks of light amid the gloom, however fleeting. Johnson fired a blemish-free eight-under par 64 on Friday to take a two-shot lead into the final round — a clear sign she is beginning the reap the rewards of improvements made to her game.
After bogeying her opening hole on Saturday, she then responded with two birdies and an eagle in the next four, only to leak serious oil in the desert. It meant Johnson eventually signed for a 75 to come home six shots behind Shanshan Feng, who racked up an astonishing fourth Dubai victory.
Yet, for the most part, Johnson was happy with how she coped with the strain of being the one everybody else was shooting at.
“I felt OK out there,” she said. “It’d been a while. Getting off to a nice start obviously makes it a little bit easier and I’d opened up a little bit of a lead, but hats off to Shanshan: 64 out there today is pretty impressive.
“Maybe I could have made a bit more of a challenge of it around the turn, but she went out and won it today. I didn’t make too many mistakes, but just in the wrong places at the wrong time.”
Johnson attributed the breakdown to bad habits creeping back in under pressure, evidenced through holes seven to 10, when she carded three bogeys and one double-bogey. All she could do is watch the scoreboards as Feng, stationed a few groups behind, pulled away from her and the field. But, all in all, it feels like there is much to look forward to.
“Obviously you’ve got to be happy with a top 10 any week,” Johnson said. “I got myself into the position I did yesterday and was it a nice feeling again to be at the right end of the leaderboard.
“It’ll probably kick in a little bit later. Right now, the season’s gone. It’s been a positive finish, take today out of it. The result‘s a good finish, so give me until tonight when I’m sitting down reflecting, or maybe on the flight home tomorrow I’ll be thinking a little more and be more disappointed.
“But right now it’s OK. So just go back and work on the same things. It works, it’s just a timely process.”
jmcauley@thenational.ae
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Why does a queen bee feast only on royal jelly?
Some facts about bees:
The queen bee eats only royal jelly, an extraordinary food created by worker bees so she lives much longer
The life cycle of a worker bee is from 40-60 days
A queen bee lives for 3-5 years
This allows her to lay millions of eggs and allows the continuity of the bee colony
About 20,000 honey bees and one queen populate each hive
Honey is packed with vital vitamins, minerals, enzymes, water and anti-oxidants.
Apart from honey, five other products are royal jelly, the special food bees feed their queen
Pollen is their protein source, a super food that is nutritious, rich in amino acids
Beewax is used to construct the combs. Due to its anti-fungal, anti-bacterial elements, it is used in skin treatments
Propolis, a resin-like material produced by bees is used to make hives. It has natural antibiotic qualities so works to sterilize hive, protects from disease, keeps their home free from germs. Also used to treat sores, infection, warts
Bee venom is used by bees to protect themselves. Has anti-inflammatory properties, sometimes used to relieve conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis, nerve and muscle pain
Honey, royal jelly, pollen have health enhancing qualities
The other three products are used for therapeutic purposes
Is beekeeping dangerous?
As long as you deal with bees gently, you will be safe, says Mohammed Al Najeh, who has worked with bees since he was a boy.
“The biggest mistake people make is they panic when they see a bee. They are small but smart creatures. If you move your hand quickly to hit the bees, this is an aggressive action and bees will defend themselves. They can sense the adrenalin in our body. But if we are calm, they are move away.”
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PREMIER LEAGUE FIXTURES
All times UAE ( 4 GMT)
Saturday
West Ham United v Tottenham Hotspur (3.30pm)
Burnley v Huddersfield Town (7pm)
Everton v Bournemouth (7pm)
Manchester City v Crystal Palace (7pm)
Southampton v Manchester United (7pm)
Stoke City v Chelsea (7pm)
Swansea City v Watford (7pm)
Leicester City v Liverpool (8.30pm)
Sunday
Brighton and Hove Albion v Newcastle United (7pm)
Monday
Arsenal v West Bromwich Albion (11pm)
Living in...
This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.
MATCH INFO
Quarter-finals
Saturday (all times UAE)
England v Australia, 11.15am
New Zealand v Ireland, 2.15pm
Sunday
Wales v France, 11.15am
Japan v South Africa, 2.15pm
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