LONDON: The chance of playing nine holes with four-time Major winner Rory McIlroy is something most 18-year-olds would jump at.
But if Rayhan Thomas has his way, it will be something he does much more of in the future.
The Indian Dubai-born teenager — whose parents moved to Dubai in 1993 — joined McIlroy in a practice round ahead of last month’s Dubai Desert Classic, a just reward for being the leading amateur in the UAE.
“It was fantastic,” Thomas told Arab News.
“To watch the ball flight he has and watch him at work was just awesome.”
What did he and the current world No. 8 speak about?
“Just general things but it was mainly watching. I watched as much as I could to see what he does and pick his brain a little bit about the course and how he handles pressure.
“He’s a good guy and I’ve looked up to him for a long time. I had lunch with him eight years or so ago, when I was one of the local juniors lucky enough to meet him. It’s always special to meet up with him.”
Thomas has risen to prominence on the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) Tour and is 18th in the World Amateur Golf rankings. He became the first amateur to win a MENA Tour event in 2016 when he triumphed at the Dubai Creek Open aged 16 and then, in his title defense last September, he created more history.
Thomas reeled off nine birdies on the bounce en route to tying the Dubai Creek Golf & Yacht Club course record of 61 — equaling the world record for consecutive birdies made in an Official World Golf Ranking event.
Having finished tied for 60th at last year’s Desert Classic, Thomas missed the cut at this year’s edition after finishing six over par and admitted: “I feel like I could have done much better, but it was a great experience and I learned a lot.”
While that did not go according to plan, he did more than enough to impress McIlroy, though, with the Northern Irishman praising Thomas’ prodigious ability and growing maturity.
“He’s come along so well,” McIlroy said of the supremely confident youngster who insisted that he has “no big weaknesses” in his game.
“I’ve known him since he was 13 or 14 and everyone was talking about him then. To see how he’s progressed: He’s a great player, does all the right things, practices hard and has a good attitude toward it,” McIlroy added.
The Middle East has long been known as a region with some great courses and host to some of the world’s best tournaments, but has never produced golfing talent to take on the world’s best. Thomas hopes to change all that and has already shown that the region can nurture very promising players.
The teen sensation is adamant that he will not be an exception and that the Middle East can create more golfing talent and not just be known as a playground for the golfing elite and wealthy expatriates.
“Can golfers from the Middle East succeed? I think they can have that opportunity,” said Thomas, who joined the Dubai Creek Golf & Yacht Club’s youth development program aged eight. “We have great programs, people (teaching) and facilities and the weather is fantastic for it, so I don’t think we have any excuses. I think the programs and the way we run things here compared with other countries, we’re still developing and getting better — that’s the beauty of it.
“I think over the next 10 years or so, we will see a lot of junior people coming up from the programs and see some big players coming up from the Middle East.”
As for his own future, Thomas is taking it step by step.
“I won’t be turning professional any time soon, either,” said Thomas, whose next tournament is the Bonallack Trophy in Qatar, where he will be representing Asia-Pacific against Europe next month.
“I go to college, Oklahoma State University, in 2019 and I’ll only decide once I’m there and feel like I’m ready.
“Turning pro is my ultimate ambition and trying to achieve as much as I can. I don’t even know what that is yet.
“But I just want to be on the same trajectory that I am on, keep on improving and getting better and win major championships and be a great player.”
UAE teen leads the way for Middle East golf
UAE teen leads the way for Middle East golf
‘Star is born’: From homeless to Test hero for India’s Jaiswal
- Yashasvi Jaiswal, 22, put India in driving seat against Australia in Perth with stellar century
- A young, homeless Jaiswal used to sell snacks on the streets to finance cricketing ambitions
NEW DELHI: India’s Perth Test hero Yashasvi Jaiswal, who hit a stunning century on Sunday, rose to stardom from being homeless and selling snacks on the streets to finance his cricketing ambitions.
The 22-year-old opening batsman turned an overnight 90 into 161 on day three in the opening match of the five-Test series against Australia.
It was his fourth ton in his 15th Test.
He hit 171 last year on his debut against the West Indies, off a grueling 387 deliveries over more than eight hours at the crease in Dominica.
He smacked two double centuries against visiting England earlier this year.
The attacking left-handed batsman burst into the consciousness of cricket-mad India with a stellar showing in the Indian Premier League last year.
He was snapped up by Rajasthan Royals in the 2019 IPL auction and last season made one half of a fearsome opening pair with England’s white-ball captain Jos Buttler, amassing 625 runs with a strike rate of more than 163.
After his latest heroics, former India captain Sunil Gavaskar said it was all the more special because he had “come the hard way.”
The batting great called Jaiswal a “wonderful role model for those who come from the villages to the cities,” showing how if “you work hard, you’re dedicated, you have a dream, you can fulfil it.”
“This boy is a man,” Gavaskar said in his commentary show.
English commentator Mark Nicholas said:
“This innings will announce him as a star is really born.”
Jaiswal dreamed of playing for India and moved to the financial capital Mumbai at just 11 years old, leaving his parents back home in their village.
“I used to sleep in a dairy and then stayed at my uncle’s place, but it wasn’t big enough and he asked me to find a different place,” Jaiswal told AFP in an interview in 2020.
“I then started to stay in a tent near Azad Maidan” — a field considered the birthplace of cricket in India — “and would play cricket there during the day.”
In between he sold popular street snacks to make enough money to pay for his own meals, supplementing a side hustle in cricket scoring and ball fetching in club games.
Jaiswal eventually won a place in the Mumbai state team in 2019 and became the youngest batsman, at 17 years and 292 days, to score a domestic one-day double century.
Verstappen wins fourth consecutive Formula One world title
- The 27-year-old Dutchman came home in fifth place in a race won by George Russell of Mercedes
- McLaren’s Lando Norris, who was Verstappen’s only title rival, finished in sixth place
LAS VEGAS: Max Verstappen claimed a fourth consecutive Formula One world title under the lights of the Las Vegas Grand Prix on Saturday.
The 27-year-old Dutchman came home in fifth place in a race won by George Russell of Mercedes as he became just the sixth man after Michael Schumacher, Lewis Hamilton, Juan Manuel Fangio, Sebastian Vettel and Alain Prost to claim four championships.
McLaren’s Lando Norris, who was Verstappen’s only title rival, finished in sixth place.
“Oh my god what a season, four times, thank you guys,” Verstappen told his Red Bull team on the radio.
“It’s a little more difficult than last year, but we pulled through. Thank you so much guys.”
Russell came home 7.313 seconds clear of seven-time champion and Mercedes teammate Hamilton, who had started from 10th on the grid.
The Ferraris of Carlos Sainz and Charles Leclerc were third and fourth places respectively.
Norris, in sixth, was 43 seconds adrift ahead of McLaren team-mate Oscar Piastri.
Nico Hulkenberg was eighth for Haas ahead of RB’s Yuki Tsunoda and Sergio Perez in the second Red Bull.
Norris, who needed to outscore Verstappen by three points to keep his title hopes alive, took an extra point for fastest lap, but his challenge was over.
On a dry, windy and milder night in the Nevada desert, the air and track temperature was 18 degrees as Russell made a perfect start from his fourth pole position to lead with Leclerc, from fourth, leaping to second off the grid.
Everyone except Fernando Alonso started on mediums, the Spaniard taking softs that lasted only four laps while, at the front, Leclerc made an early bid to pass Russell and Verstappen swept by Pierre Gasly for fourth.
The Dutchman, looking imperious, made more progress on lap nine by passing Leclerc for third as Norris overtook Gasly for fifth while Hamilton moved up to eighth.
Piastri was given a five-second penalty for a false start, from outside his grid box, as Sainz, Leclerc and Norris pitted for hards, followed by Verstappen and Russell on lap 12.
Hamilton profited from the frantic action to lead the race for a lap before the order settled with Russell leading ahead of Perez, who made an early stop, and Verstappen.
On lap 15, Perez waved Verstappen through to second behind Russell and Gasly retired with engine failure in his Alpine.
Hamilton, showing great speed, climbed to fifth by lap 20 behind the two Ferraris, leaving Norris struggling in sixth.
“The front right looks like it is about to go any lap,” reported Norris. His title dream, like his tires, appeared to be evaporating as McLaren slithered in pursuit, unable to find any grip.
By half-distance, Russell led Verstappen by 11 seconds with Sainz, complaining about his tires, third ahead of Leclerc and Hamilton before, on lap 28, both multiple champions pitted.
Hamilton was hampered by Sainz, crossing in and out of the pit lane as Ferrari ordered him to stay out and swap places with Leclerc. The Spaniard pitted a lap later, falling to sixth.
All this saw Norris rise to third before he pitted again on lap 31 falling to seventh while Hamilton, in the mood, cruised past Verstappen for second behind Russell.
Irked by suggestions that his “shelf life” was ending, Hamilton, on older tires, trimmed Russell’s lead from 11 seconds to six in five vintage laps.
Verstappen, concentrating on the big prize, was passed by Sainz but kept Leclerc behind him with Norris 10 seconds adrift in sixth until lap 47 when the Monegasque passed him for fourth.
Giannis, Lillard lead Bucks over Hornets as Spurs beat Warriors
- Despite a career-high 50-point performance by Hornets guard LaMelo Ball, the host Bucks improved to 8-9 on the season with a 4-0 home streak
- At Chicago, Scotty Pippen Jr. — the son of former Chicago Bulls legend Scottie Pippen — scored 30 points and added 10 assists to lead Memphis over the Bulls 142-131
LOS ANGELES: Giannis Antetokounmpo scored 32 points and Damian Lillard added 31 to lead the Milwaukee Bucks over visiting Charlotte 125-119 on Saturday, stretching their NBA win streak to four games.
Despite a career-high 50-point performance by Hornets guard LaMelo Ball, the host Bucks improved to 8-9 on the season with a 4-0 home streak while Charlotte fell to 6-10.
“It just feels great to get another win on our home floor,” Lillard said.
“The way we started the season was rough. We’re starting to play the kind of basketball we wanted to play coming into the season. Now we’re starting to feel good about ourselves, on offense and defense.
“We’re starting to do what the coaches want us to do and we’re starting to get the results we want.”
Greek star Antetokounmpo went 12-of-23 from the floor and 7-of-10 from the free throw line while adding 11 rebounds and six assists for Milwaukee. Ball had 10 assists for the Hornets.
Brandon Miller, who had 32 points and 11 rebounds, sank a 3-point shot with 15 seconds remaining to lift Charlotte within 121-119 but Taurean Prince sank two free throws for the Bucks. Ball and Miller missed late 3-point attempts and Antetokounmpo added two final free throws to seal the victory.
Lillard said the players had to find a deeper bond to escape an early season funk.
“Just having to figure it out,” said Lillard. “Nobody is going to come save us. Nobody is going to feel bad for us having a hard time.
“We had to come closer, come together in practice, we’re talking through things in film, talking good things on the court, getting shots up together. Our group chat has been extremely active trying to encourage each other. It’s just coming together on the court.”
French star Victor Wembanyama had 25 points, seven rebounds and nine assists to spark the San Antonio Spurs over Western Conference leader Golden State 104-94.
The host Spurs also had 22 points from Harrison Barnes, 19 by Stephon Castle plus nine points and seven assists from Chris Paul, who played for Golden State last season.
San Antonio outscored the Warriors 33-13 in the final quarter to rally for the victory, improving to 9-8 while Golden State tumbled to 12-4, the same record as Oklahoma City.
The Warriors, who shot only 36.9 percent from the floor, were led by 20 points from Andrew Wiggins and 14 from Stephen Curry.
Finland’s Lauri Markkanen scored 34 points to lead the Utah Jazz over visiting New York 121-106, snapping the Knicks’ four-game win streak and a four-game Utah losing skid.
Markkanen hit 11-of-15 shots from the floor, 5-of-8 from 3-point range, and 7-of-8 free throws for the Jazz, who also had 25 points from Collin Sexton.
O.G. Anunoby led New York with 27 points while Jalen Brunson added 23 and Karl-Anthony Towns had 16 points and 16 rebounds.
At Chicago, Scotty Pippen Jr. — the son of former Chicago Bulls legend Scottie Pippen — scored 30 points and added 10 assists to lead Memphis over the Bulls 142-131.
Pippen topped eight double-figure scorers for the Grizzlies while Zach LaVine led the Bulls with 29 points.
Germany’s Franz Wagner had 30 points, nine rebounds and eight assists to lead Orlando over Detroit 111-100, the Magic improving to 8-0 at home.
At Houston, Portland’s Anfernee Simons scored 25 points, Shaedon Sharpe added 24 and Donovan Clingan grabbed 19 rebounds to spark the Trail Blazers over the host Rockets 104-98.
Simons sank a 3-pointer with 27 seconds remaining to give the Blazers a 99-96 lead and late free throws by Deni Avdija, Simons and Sharpe clinched the triumph.
Jeeno Thitikul makes late charge to catch Angel Yin in the LPGA finale
- At stake is the richest payoff in women’s golf, $4 million to the winner
- Thitikul already picked up a $1 million bonus this week through the Aon Risk-Reward Challenge
NAPLES: Angel Yin was making putts from across the green and threatening to build a big lead until Jeeno Thitikul finished eagle-birdie for a 9-under 63 to share the lead Saturday going into the final round of the CME Group Tour Championship with $4 million on the line.
Yin had a 69 after another day of big putts and one chip-in from some 60 feet for eagle on the par-5 sixth hole that put her comfortably ahead at Tiburon Golf Club.
She holed a 30-footer on the eighth hole, another birdie from about 25 feet on the ninth hole and another one from the 30-foot range on the 12th.
Thitikul seemed to be an afterthought until she lit it up on the back nine for a 30. The Thai started the back nine with three straight bogeys, but she made up quick ground at the end with her eagle on the reachable par-5 17th and a birdie on the closing hole.
The birdie briefly gave her the lead until Yin made birdie on the 17th to join her. They were tied at 15-under 201, three shots head of Ruoning Yin, who birdied her last two for a 66.
Charley Hull had seven birdies in her round of 66 and was at 11-under 205, along with Narin An of South Korea.
Nelly Korda, who got back into the mix on Friday after a sluggish start, lost ground with a 69 on a pleasant day that left her six shots back going into the final round. Korda has won four of her seven LPGA titles this year coming from behind. This could be a tall order.
At stake is the richest payoff in women’s golf, $4 million to the winner, nearly as much as Korda has made all year in her seven-victory season.
Thitikul already picked up a $1 million bonus this week through the Aon Risk-Reward Challenge, a competition based on how players score on a designated hole each week. Now she could leave Florida with a total of $5 million.
“Actually, $1 million is really good enough for me,” Thitikul said. “If I can get more, it’s definitely going to be nice, because as my team know I spend a lot of money. That’s why I have to keep playing good golf, like spending on shopping day.”
Angel Yin heard plenty of cheers for her long birdie putts, and the chip-in for eagle. She also was helped by a couple of pars after bad drives. She went well to the left at No. 10, did well to blast out on a blind shot just short of the green and then got up-and-down with a pitch to 4 feet.
And then on the 13th, another tee shot went well to the left. She tried to get it back in play from just in front of some bushes, and from 50 yards hit wedge to about 15 feet. She holed that putt, too, that kept her in front.
“I’m scoring still,” Yin said. “Making some mistakes, but saving a bunch, so a lot of positives.”
Retegui fires Atalanta to top of Serie A ahead of Inter Milan
- Retegui claimed his 12th league goal of the campaign after just four minutes for the visitors before Ederson and Ademola Lookman scored to send Atalanta above Inter
- Juventus failed to impress in a goalless stalemate with AC Milan
VERONA, Italy: Serie A’s leading scorer Mateo Retegui netted as Atalanta beat Parma 3-1 on Saturday to go top of Serie A on goal difference, overtaking Inter Milan despite the reigning champions’ rout of Verona.
Retegui claimed his 12th league goal of the campaign after just four minutes for the visitors before Ederson and Ademola Lookman scored to send Atalanta above Inter, who hammered Verona 5-0 earlier.
Napoli drop to third before they host Roma on Sunday on Claudio Ranieri’s return to top-flight management.
Juventus, meanwhile, failed to impress in a goalless stalemate with AC Milan and are sixth, one place above their opponents.
Atalanta coach Gian Piero Gasperini said his team were developing a winning mentality.
“We have to focus on winning every game we can and the rest is not really in our minds,” he told Sky Sport Italia.
“That was the case in the Europa League too, we didn’t start out thinking we’d win it, but as time wore on and we found ourselves in that position, we weren’t going to hold back either.”
Argentina-born Italy striker Retegui, 25, opened the scoring early on with a deft header.
The reigning Europa League champions doubled their lead after 39 minutes as Brazil midfielder Ederson scored his second goal of the season.
But five minutes into the second half, the hosts cut the deficit as Matteo Cancellieri fired home.
Retegui was replaced by attacking midfielder Charles De Ketelaere as Gasperini rested the attacker before Tuesday’s Champions League trip to Swiss side Young Boys.
Parma’s hopes of denying Atalanta a seventh straight league win were dashed with a quarter of an hour to play as Nigerian international Lookman finally scored, netting for a seventh time this campaign to ensure his side take top spot in the table.
Earlier, Marcus Thuram scored twice in Inter’s easy win over Verona as Joaquin Correa, Stefan de Vrij and Yann Bisseck were also on the scoresheet.
Correa’s opener in the 17th minute, a delightful dink after smart interplay with Thuram, didn’t just spark a rout, it was also the Argentine’s first Serie A goal in more than two years.
Out-of-favor Correa had only played 38 minutes this season before this weekend but was excellent in place of captain and star striker Lautaro Martinez who was sent home early on Saturday with the flu.
“I know him well, he’s been training brilliantly since July, he’s got a lot of competition,” Simone Inzaghi told DAZN.
“I’m pleased for him but I’m also pleased for the boys because they played really well,” he added.
Verona have lost nine of their 13 league matches this season and sit 14th, just three points above the relegation zone.
Inter now host Leipzig on Tuesday as they push for direct qualification for the last 16 of the Champions League, having thumped Verona with a clutch of starters either injured or rested.
As well as Martinez, Hakan Calhanoglu, Federico Dimarco and Benjamin Pavard missed Saturday’s match after a busy period on international duty.
Juventus trail Inter and Atalanta by three points after offering little to shout about against AC Milan at the San Siro.
Ravaged by injuries, including to starting center forward Dusan Vlahovic, coach Thiago Motta was forced into an experimental line-up featuring midfielder Teun Koopmeiners up front.
“I’m pleased with our performance, especially defensively against a team which created very little,” Motta told DAZN.
“All in all we played well, I think a point right now keeps us going. I’m happy to see that we’re well-organized and are capable of playing like a big team should.”
