Peter Cowen on the range at Yas Links Abu Dhabi during the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship. - Supplied photo
Congratulations to Dubai resident Paul Waring (Eng) on his impressive victory at the $9 million Yas Links Abu Dhabi. Not bad for the 39-year-old. In today's tour, 39 is considered the new 29. Sadly, at my end, 73 feels like the new 83. Just kidding! Paul now has numerous options for where to play, including dual card status on both the DP World Tour and the PGA Tour. This can be challenging for many golfers, so let's hope it works out well for Paul and his family. He truly deserves it as he's one of the good guys on the tour.
Financially, this win is significant – earning $1,530,000 today, qualifying for the top 10 Race to Dubai Bonus Pool, and potentially more through the $10 million DP World Tour Championship. Additionally, he gains points in the OWGR, Race to Dubai, and Ryder Cup standings.
England's Paul Waring (L) celebrates with his caddy on the 18th hole after winning the final round of the DP World Championship golf tournament in Abu Dhabi on Sunday. - AFP
Waring, who resides on The Palm, Dubai, has been a resident for over a year and is a member of Jumeirah Golf Estates. There's an interesting story about the 500 Club logo on his shirt sleeve. Waring plays in a Friday member’s group at Jumeirah Golf Estates when he's in town, at 500 Club. This is a competitive gathering of above-average golfers, and he's currently playing off +6, with a win and a second place in the group. Rumors suggest it might go to +7. This Rolex Series win might catch the attention of the 500 Club Handicap Committee. I'll keep you updated.
The members have decided to feature the 500 Club logo on Paul's sleeve for the rest of this season and next. It has certainly been a lucky charm for Waring so far. My stable of players, Joaquin Niemann, Guido Migliozzi, and Grant Forrest, have had a decent week. Niemann had three rounds in the 60’s, but that wasn't enough on a perfectly prepared course with no wind defense. Migliozzi had four sub rounds but slipped five places on the Race to Dubai but will be there next week at JGE. Forrest showed promise with a 65 in round three but will miss out next week.
This week highlights that Dubai, Abu Dhabi, and the UAE are ideal for winter training and year-round bases for players. Look at the list of players who call these places home - Tommy Fleetwood, Thorbjorn Oleson, Thomas Detry, Ewen Ferguson, Richard Mansell, Adrian Meronk, Aaron Cockerill, Julien Guerrier, Guido Migliozzi, Adrian Otaegui, Rafa Cabrera Bello, and Nicolas Colsaerts, among others. Some players and managers might be looking into how to obtain a Dubai Golden Visa. Feel free to reach out if you need help; I know someone who can assist. I'm also a Dubai Golden Visa holder, though the qualification criteria have tightened since I received it.
See you next week in Dubai for the 44th and final event of the 2024 DP World Tour season. It promises to be another special week.
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