Shanghai Diary: Bubba not bound for UAE anytime soon

Joy Chakravarty 15:31 06/11/2015
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  • Watson is yet to play in the UAE.

    SHANGHAI — ‘Bubba Golf’ is taking the world by storm, but the UAE will have to wait some more time to see the two-time Masters champion in flesh and blood, playing the most awe-inspiring shots.

    Bubba Watson, who is the defending champion here in Shanghai this week, is playing a tournament in Japan next week and then the Thai Golf Championship in December. It is a part of his growing love for traveling and popularising the game.

    Bubba had faced ridicule for his trip to Paris for the 2011 French Open when he was unhappy with just about everything, including French fans, and could not name a single historic city monument properly.

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    But things have changed and Bubba said: “When you look at the game, it is growing globally. I wanted to win outside the US and after getting a taste of a victory outside the US here last year, I want to do that again.

    “So for me, getting better as a golfer, as a person, I want to try different cultures and learn different golf courses in different areas of the world. For me, it’s just fun.

    “I haven’t been over to Dubai or Abu Dhabi. They have invited me but I just haven’t been able to at the start of the year.

    “It’s just that it's a tough part of the schedule. It’s just hard for me to go over there instead of getting ready for the PGA Tour. It’s a weird place in the schedule for me personally.”

    …………………
    Silver lining for Lahiri
    Friday’s second round wasn’t the best for Anirban Lahiri, and a double bogey-bogey-bogey stretch of four-over score in three holes from the eighth wrecked his card.

    But even as Lahiri fell back to tied 61st place at one-over par following a round of three-over par 75, there was some good news for the 27-year-old Indian.

    Lahiri was named among the 18 players who will constitute the field for this year’s Hero World Challenge, the annual tournament hosted by Tiger Woods.

    The tournament is being played in Bahamas for the first time this year from December 3-6 at the Albany course. Woods himself is not entered, ruled out by the back surgery, but has managed to attract six out of the top-10 players in the world.

    And the world No39 Lahiri, who is personally sponsored by Hero group, the titles sponsors of Woods’ tournament, said: “I’d like to thank the Hero group and Tiger for providing me this opportunity. I am excited and really looking forward to it.

    “I have always looked up to Tiger and I have grown up loving the game in the Tiger era. I have always admired him for dominating the game for the way he did and for doing so much for our sport. Playing his event was a dream and it is about to come true.”

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