Meet the late bloomer whose professional career keeps getting better. The Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship winner is playing this week in the European Tour season finale in Dubai.
Ryder Cup success
A journeyman for most of his career, Donaldson earned a spot on the 2014 Ryder Cup team and scored the clinching point two months ago in Scotland when, in his singles match with Keegan Bradley, he knocked a wedge on to the 15th green to within inches of the hole to secure the cup. It was the confluence of a magical run that is showing few signs of ending. “Everything was in my favour to hit that shot where it went at the time, but to see it that close was obviously icing on the cake,” he said.
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Scheduling
Winless on the European Tour for the first 12 years after he turned pro in 2000, Donaldson has won a title in each of the past three seasons, including the 2013 crown at Abu Dhabi Golf Club, partly because he is better at picking his spots. “That’s the hardest thing, to get the schedule so perfect that you’re not tired and you’re prepared for every event,” he said.
Learning
That sounds easy in theory, but he will play a full-time schedule on the PGA Tour in 2015, splitting time on two tours. “I like playing all the [Florida] swing over there, so that’s pretty straightforward,” he said. “I’ll add a few more. Pebble Beach I think I’ll like because it gets windy, it’s by the ocean. I’ve always done well on those types of courses.”
Desert swing
Donaldson said his busy 2015 schedule will not preclude playing in the European Tour’s desert swing next year, including the 10th Abu Dhabi event. “I will probably play the desert events here, then head straight over [to the US] from there,” he said.
Next step
Ranked a career-best 24th in the world, Donaldson has joined the ranks of the elite at age 39, playing in World Golf Championships events and all the majors. Where to from here? “I just try and prepare and practise in a way to improve,” he said. “It takes so long to learn which tournaments to play and which not.”
Tee times, Day 1
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The specs
Engine: four-litre V6 and 3.5-litre V6 twin-turbo
Transmission: six-speed and 10-speed
Power: 271 and 409 horsepower
Torque: 385 and 650Nm
Price: from Dh229,900 to Dh355,000
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Director: Goran Hugo Olsson
Rating: 5/5
Company%20Profile
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What is a Ponzi scheme?
A fraudulent investment operation where the scammer provides fake reports and generates returns for old investors through money paid by new investors, rather than through ligitimate business activities.
Company%20Profile
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Five famous companies founded by teens
There are numerous success stories of teen businesses that were created in college dorm rooms and other modest circumstances. Below are some of the most recognisable names in the industry:
- Facebook: Mark Zuckerberg and his friends started Facebook when he was a 19-year-old Harvard undergraduate.
- Dell: When Michael Dell was an undergraduate student at Texas University in 1984, he started upgrading computers for profit. He starting working full-time on his business when he was 19. Eventually, his company became the Dell Computer Corporation and then Dell Inc.
- Subway: Fred DeLuca opened the first Subway restaurant when he was 17. In 1965, Mr DeLuca needed extra money for college, so he decided to open his own business. Peter Buck, a family friend, lent him $1,000 and together, they opened Pete’s Super Submarines. A few years later, the company was rebranded and called Subway.
- Mashable: In 2005, Pete Cashmore created Mashable in Scotland when he was a teenager. The site was then a technology blog. Over the next few decades, Mr Cashmore has turned Mashable into a global media company.
- Oculus VR: Palmer Luckey founded Oculus VR in June 2012, when he was 19. In August that year, Oculus launched its Kickstarter campaign and raised more than $1 million in three days. Facebook bought Oculus for $2 billion two years later.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
THE SIXTH SENSE
Starring: Bruce Willis, Toni Collette, Hayley Joel Osment
Director: M. Night Shyamalan
Rating: 5/5
BORDERLANDS
Starring: Cate Blanchett, Kevin Hart, Jamie Lee Curtis
Director: Eli Roth
Rating: 0/5
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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How to come clean about financial infidelity
- Be honest and transparent: It is always better to own up than be found out. Tell your partner everything they want to know. Show remorse. Inform them of the extent of the situation so they know what they are dealing with.
- Work on yourself: Be honest with yourself and your partner and figure out why you did it. Don’t be ashamed to ask for professional help.
- Give it time: Like any breach of trust, it requires time to rebuild. So be consistent, communicate often and be patient with your partner and yourself.
- Discuss your financial situation regularly: Ensure your spouse is involved in financial matters and decisions. Your ability to consistently follow through with what you say you are going to do when it comes to money can make all the difference in your partner’s willingness to trust you again.
- Work on a plan to resolve the problem together: If there is a lot of debt, for example, create a budget and financial plan together and ensure your partner is fully informed, involved and supported.
Carol Glynn, founder of Conscious Finance Coaching
