Final grand gala for the Desert Swing, which closes this weekend in Dubai, with the Desert Classic, on the fantastic Emirates route. The tournament begins today and among the many red carpet stars it also boasts Tiger Woods, in his second round of the season with golf. Things in San Diego last week didn't go so well. The former world number one didn't pass the cut, but he also didn't show excessive weaknesses in the game. The first shot struggles to stop on the track, but this is a constant fact in Tiger's career. The short game, on the other hand, is beautiful and solid again, without the worrying weaknesses shown a year and a half ago. If it goes on like this, we just have to wait and Tiger, sooner or later, will be back on the podium. Meanwhile in Dubai he has already won twice, in 2006 and 2008. His declared goal, for now, is to consolidate his game, in order to be in top form in April, for the Masters, his favorite major .
Among the tournaments on the European circuit he has always liked this very much. On the other hand, the Emirates Golf Club is a fascinating course, a splendid artificial oasis, a true green paradise wrested from the desert by the emirs with the sound of purified water. To reach him he had to resign himself to a scheduled flight, given the chaos in American airports, after Trump's choices and the impossibility of moving by private plane.
Together with the American in Dubai we find a large patrol of important names: from Henrik Stenson, number 4 in the world to Martin Kaymer, from Sergio Garcia, to Lee Westwood, to Danny Willett, reigning champion. Three blues: Matteo Manassero, Renato Paratore and Nino Bertasio. The latter recovering in Qatar (48th) where instead Manassero and Paratore came out after 36 holes, still in the running-in phase. The jackpot is 2.450 million euros, with over 4 euros of first coin.
