SANDWICH, England // Louis Oosthuizen tries to keep his lifestyle as simple as that beautiful swing that carried him to the British Open Championship last summer at St Andrews in Scotland.
Not even having the Claret Jug in his possession for a year changed that. The South African had to return golf's oldest prize to the Royal & Ancient in advance of his title defence at Royal St George's. Unlike some past champions, there were no wild tales about where it had been or what kind of drinks he poured from the jug.
The most treasured moment involved his roots. Oosthuizen, the son of farmers along the Garden Route in South Africa, grew up playing at the tiny Albertinia Golf Club, a nine-hole course with greens made of sand and oil. After his seven-shot victory, he took the trophy there to show his friends.
"That was the most special thing for me, having the Claret Jug there at a golf club that's probably got 42, 43 members, which are basically field farmers and a few guys in town," he said. "And that's where I grew up. That was quite a special moment for me."
As for giving the trophy back?
Much like the sensation Graeme McDowell felt when he returned to defend his title at the US Open, it was a mixture of sadness and relief. Oosthuizen spent a year under the burden of being an Open champion, yet he would not mind keeping the jug around.
"I think it's a great honour," he said. "But from here on out, you're not the Open champion anymore. Well, unless ..."
Two players in the last six years have successfully defended the British Open — Padraig Harrington at Royal Birkdale in 2008, and Tiger Woods at Royal Liverpool in 2006. Although, Oosthuizen has not arrived in England in the best form.
He started the year by winning the Africa Open, but missed the cut in some of the biggest events — the Masters, The Players Championship and the BMW PGA Championship — before he tied for ninth in the US Open.
Then again, he was not playing all that great when he arrived at St Andrews last year. But he found something in this swing during the practice rounds, found his rhythm, got a good break with the weather and wound up with largest margin of victory in the British Open since Woods won by eight shots in 2000.
"I probably didn't feel that confident last year going into the Open, but after the first round, I knew the game was there," Oosthuizen said.
The landscape is different now, however, on a links course with so many humps and hollows the ball can bounce anywhere.
The star of golf is no longer Woods, or any American, for that matter. It is all about Rory McIlroy, coming off his eight-shot win in the US Open. Then there is Luke Donald, who won by four shots on Sunday in the Scottish Open to cement his spot at the top of the world rankings. But Oosthuizen is more than just another name in the field.
For one thing, British fans hold a special place in their hearts for their Open champion. Besides, how can anyone ever forget a name like Oosthuizen. Not only did it take longer than most to engrave on the Claret Jug, even after all his success, it is one name in golf that people have trouble pronouncing.
"It's probably more annoying when they say, 'I've been practising it for a month,' and they still get it wrong. No, no, it's fine. I know it's not the easiest surname," he said.
And then there was the announcer at Riviera for the Northern Trust Open in Los Angeles. He went to great care to pronounce the name correctly. And he did pronounce it correctly. But at the last second, the starter noticed the "RSA" next to his name to denote the Republic of South Africa.
"Louis Oosthuizen," the starter said. "From Russia."
Even though Oosthuizen had to return the trophy this week, he will always be an Open champion. And although he does nt look for fanfare, he dealt with his notoriety.
"I don't know if 'enjoying' is the right word," he said. "I think it's just how you handle it. If you're going to play well, you're eventually going to be in the spotlight, and it's part of the package. I don't mind it, but it's not a thing that you go out and find. I just take it as it comes, and if I do well and I'm in for it, then it's just another thing I need to be ready for."
Company%20profile
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BORDERLANDS
Starring: Cate Blanchett, Kevin Hart, Jamie Lee Curtis
Director: Eli Roth
Rating: 0/5
The National photo project
Chris Whiteoak, a photographer at The National, spent months taking some of Jacqui Allan's props around the UAE, positioning them perfectly in front of some of the country's most recognisable landmarks. He placed a pirate on Kite Beach, in front of the Burj Al Arab, the Cheshire Cat from Alice in Wonderland at the Burj Khalifa, and brought one of Allan's snails (Freddie, which represents her grandfather) to the Dubai Frame. In Abu Dhabi, a dinosaur went to Al Ain's Jebel Hafeet. And a flamingo was taken all the way to the Hatta Mountains. This special project suitably brings to life the quirky nature of Allan's prop shop (and Allan herself!).
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The Word for Woman is Wilderness
Abi Andrews, Serpent’s Tail
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League semi-final, first leg
Barcelona v Liverpool, Wednesday, 11pm (UAE).
Second leg
Liverpool v Barcelona, Tuesday, May 7, 11pm
Games on BeIN Sports
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How to protect yourself when air quality drops
Install an air filter in your home.
Close your windows and turn on the AC.
Shower or bath after being outside.
Wear a face mask.
Stay indoors when conditions are particularly poor.
If driving, turn your engine off when stationary.
Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week
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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
A Cat, A Man, and Two Women
Junichiro Tamizaki
Translated by Paul McCarthy
Daunt Books
Israel Palestine on Swedish TV 1958-1989
Director: Goran Hugo Olsson
Rating: 5/5
The specs
Engine: 6.2-litre supercharged V8
Power: 712hp at 6,100rpm
Torque: 881Nm at 4,800rpm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 19.6 l/100km
Price: Dh380,000
On sale: now
RACE SCHEDULE
All times UAE ( 4 GMT)
Friday, September 29
First practice: 7am - 8.30am
Second practice: 11am - 12.30pm
Saturday, September 30
Qualifying: 1pm - 2pm
Sunday, October 1
Race: 11am - 1pm
The specs
Engine: 2.7-litre 4-cylinder Turbomax
Power: 310hp
Torque: 583Nm
Transmission: 8-speed automatic
Price: From Dh192,500
On sale: Now
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.
Your rights as an employee
The government has taken an increasingly tough line against companies that fail to pay employees on time. Three years ago, the Cabinet passed a decree allowing the government to halt the granting of work permits to companies with wage backlogs.
The new measures passed by the Cabinet in 2016 were an update to the Wage Protection System, which is in place to track whether a company pays its employees on time or not.
If wages are 10 days late, the new measures kick in and the company is alerted it is in breach of labour rules. If wages remain unpaid for a total of 16 days, the authorities can cancel work permits, effectively shutting off operations. Fines of up to Dh5,000 per unpaid employee follow after 60 days.
Despite those measures, late payments remain an issue, particularly in the construction sector. Smaller contractors, such as electrical, plumbing and fit-out businesses, often blame the bigger companies that hire them for wages being late.
The authorities have urged employees to report their companies at the labour ministry or Tawafuq service centres — there are 15 in Abu Dhabi.
The bio
Who inspires you?
I am in awe of the remarkable women in the Arab region, both big and small, pushing boundaries and becoming role models for generations. Emily Nasrallah was a writer, journalist, teacher and women’s rights activist
How do you relax?
Yoga relaxes me and helps me relieve tension, especially now when we’re practically chained to laptops and desks. I enjoy learning more about music and the history of famous music bands and genres.
What is favourite book?
The Perks of Being a Wallflower - I think I've read it more than 7 times
What is your favourite Arabic film?
Hala2 Lawen (Translation: Where Do We Go Now?) by Nadine Labaki
What is favourite English film?
Mamma Mia
Best piece of advice to someone looking for a career at Google?
If you’re interested in a career at Google, deep dive into the different career paths and pinpoint the space you want to join. When you know your space, you’re likely to identify the skills you need to develop.
Zayed Sustainability Prize
In-demand jobs and monthly salaries
- Technology expert in robotics and automation: Dh20,000 to Dh40,000
- Energy engineer: Dh25,000 to Dh30,000
- Production engineer: Dh30,000 to Dh40,000
- Data-driven supply chain management professional: Dh30,000 to Dh50,000
- HR leader: Dh40,000 to Dh60,000
- Engineering leader: Dh30,000 to Dh55,000
- Project manager: Dh55,000 to Dh65,000
- Senior reservoir engineer: Dh40,000 to Dh55,000
- Senior drilling engineer: Dh38,000 to Dh46,000
- Senior process engineer: Dh28,000 to Dh38,000
- Senior maintenance engineer: Dh22,000 to Dh34,000
- Field engineer: Dh6,500 to Dh7,500
- Field supervisor: Dh9,000 to Dh12,000
- Field operator: Dh5,000 to Dh7,000
UPI facts
More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions
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BUNDESLIGA FIXTURES
Saturday
Borussia Dortmund v Eintracht Frankfurt (5.30pm kick-off UAE)
Bayer Leverkusen v Schalke (5.30pm)
Wolfsburg v Cologne (5.30pm)
Mainz v Arminia Bielefeld (5.30pm)
Augsburg v Hoffenheim (5.30pm)
RB Leipzig v Bayern Munich (8.30pm)
Borussia Monchengladbach v Freiburg (10.30pm)
Sunday
VfB Stuttgart v Werder Bremen (5.30pm)
Union Berlin v Hertha Berlin (8pm)
MEDIEVIL%20(1998)
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The schedule
December 5 - 23: Shooting competition, Al Dhafra Shooting Club
December 9 - 24: Handicrafts competition, from 4pm until 10pm, Heritage Souq
December 11 - 20: Dates competition, from 4pm
December 12 - 20: Sour milk competition
December 13: Falcon beauty competition
December 14 and 20: Saluki races
December 15: Arabian horse races, from 4pm
December 16 - 19: Falconry competition
December 18: Camel milk competition, from 7.30 - 9.30 am
December 20 and 21: Sheep beauty competition, from 10am
December 22: The best herd of 30 camels
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.
The National Archives, Abu Dhabi
Founded over 50 years ago, the National Archives collects valuable historical material relating to the UAE, and is the oldest and richest archive relating to the Arabian Gulf.
Much of the material can be viewed on line at the Arabian Gulf Digital Archive - https://www.agda.ae/en
The specs: 2018 Jeep Compass
Price, base: Dh100,000 (estimate)
Engine: 2.4L four-cylinder
Transmission: Nine-speed automatic
Power: 184bhp at 6,400rpm
Torque: 237Nm at 3,900rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 9.4L / 100km
How Islam's view of posthumous transplant surgery changed
Transplants from the deceased have been carried out in hospitals across the globe for decades, but in some countries in the Middle East, including the UAE, the practise was banned until relatively recently.
Opinion has been divided as to whether organ donations from a deceased person is permissible in Islam.
The body is viewed as sacred, during and after death, thus prohibiting cremation and tattoos.
One school of thought viewed the removal of organs after death as equally impermissible.
That view has largely changed, and among scholars and indeed many in society, to be seen as permissible to save another life.