The Winner Takes It All

As I come to the end of my week long adventure in Dubai, what other title could I use but one made famous by ABBA from their 1980 Super Trouper Album.  Like most of their single records, it reached No 1 in the UK charts.

Today is relatively concise as I write this dispatch shortly before departing for Abu Dhabi airport.  Yet again I am faced with the challenge of getting back to the UK as hundreds of other sports fans fill the planes of BA, Emirates and Virgin and whilst I had intended to try and get a flight from Dubai to London Heathrow, I have about as much chance as winning next year's Club Championship! And so I am trying to get a flight with either Etihad or BA out of the Abu Dhabi airport which lies one hour south of Dubai. Keep your fingers crossed, it might help my case!

And so back to the golf and a famous victory for Henrik Stenson which retained for him, the trophy that he first won in 2013.  I have to say that from the crowd reaction, this was a very popular victory although I did feel an amount of sympathy for Rafa Cabrera-Bello who really threw the win away with his double bogeys at 16 and 17.  For me, this was a reflection of the pressure even world class golfers can feel when coming down the stretch.  I saw Rafa getting into his chauffeur driven BMW and I have to say that he looked shattered at this defeat.  There were no smiles for the assembled crowd but perhaps that is understandable.

In contrast, Henrik looked like the cat that got the cream! Some cream of course when his take home pay today was some way north of £1 million!  Mind you, he is still some considerable millions short of recouping the monies that he lost in the Allen Stanford Ponzi scheme.

And so for me it's the end of another real fun week working at this championship. Working inside the ropes as a scorer has given me a real insight into the relationship between professional and caddy - it isn't all sweetness and light - and I have to report that a good number of players have rather lost their gloss for me having watched closely how they do their day job. There is a contrast however in those who try to maintain impeccable standards on the course but I have to reflect the professionals of today fall a long way short of knocking my golfing hero, Freddie Couples off his hard earned golfing pedestal.

It's a shame that the fun and enjoyment gained from working on the Pro-Am day was a touch tainted by the four days proper of the tournament.

Enough of my preaching because I would still recommend this experience to anyone and if anybody fancies it in 2015, button hole me at the club or send me an e-mail and I will put you in touch with Jenni Hoskins the Chief Marshall.

I have made some great friends doing this job and special mention to my second mum, Linda Mulvey who although the same age as me treats me as her son and I'm very grateful for that.  Guy and Adrian if you read this, thank you for your company and your friendship and also Jenni and her team who have been so nice to me since I first came out here in 2009.

Finally, I have to make one final mention of my two fellow Skipton volunteers Amanda and Paul who have added so much to the experience here over the last two years.  We never stop laughing in each other's company and their enthusiasm and enjoyment has a knock on effect to everybody else with whom they come into contact. They are also extremely professional out on the course.  Their only fault, or should I say Amanda's only fault is her ability to make me feel such a cheapskate for staying in the Premier Inn!! Next year for me, it's the Burj, the only seven star hotel in the world and sod the cost!

And so one final story to close this blog about my two Skipton friends.  Last night they were walking through the lobby of the Palm Atlantis and close by walking into the restaurant was today's winner Henrik Stenson. There was a shriek from a lady behind them and what did she say?  "Look, it's Paul the helicopter hero!" Henrik was devastated.

I hope you have enjoyed my musings from Dubai.  The airport beckons and I leave you with a few photos from today.