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One of the social highlights of the travel retail calendar began today in Dubai, with the 19th running of the annual Dubai Duty Free Golf World Cup.
It’s an event that brings the industry together in friendship for two days in Dubai, and whose popularity has grown over the past two decades.
This year’s high-class courses are the Emirates – which today proved a testing arena for most of the industry golfers – and the Dubai Creek, where the final leg takes place on Thursday.
Irish professional golfer Des Smyth (pictured above centre with, left to right, Dermot Davitt, Garry Stoner, Tom Reidel and Fred Taylor, alongside Dubai Duty Free staff) is also here this year, and has become a regular fixture on this event, mentoring the best and worst players in travel retail with patience and a smile.
The entertainment is also top-class every year too. Tonight we’re set to be serenaded by Irish folk band The Molly Maguires, as well as Palladium, a trio of violinists from Belarus.
Much can yet happen tomorrow, though we can say with some certainty that The Moodie Report won’t be standing on the winner’s podium, after a mixed round today produced a points tally of 25. Still, if there’s a prize for most balls lost in a single round (can anyone trump eight?), then we’ll gladly accept it.
Scorpio’s Garry Stoner wonders what’s happened to his ball after his tee shot on the eighth hole, with the Dubai skyline in the background
Dermot Davitt at The Moodie Report’s sponsored hole, with our golfing slogan ‘Straight and true’