Golf: Word is, Tiger Woods is receiving anything up to $2.5 million simply to play here this week. Word is, security - not surprisingly - has been tightened and increased for the world number one's protection. Word is, he's being asked to do some rather strange promotional feats to earn his crust. Like hitting a ball from the roof of the world's only seven-star hotel. Word is, he keeps on smiling.
Yesterday, getting his body clock back on sync, Woods - who made a brief stop in Shannon on his way to Dubai from his matchplay win in California - hit a few balls on the range, played a few holes and was on his way to an exhibition skins match at the nearby Jebel Ali resort before most people knew he had even landed.
Seen or unseen, Woods was on most people's minds. Even Darren Clarke's. The not-so-big Dungannon man - "I now have a 15 as the front number on my weighing scales," he quipped, "probably the first time in 15 years that has been the case" - had only managed a three-hour stopover to visit his family in Chobham, outside London, on Monday on his way from La Costa to Dubai.
But, in a sure sign of his diligence, he hit the course rather than his bed upon making it to the Arab state.
And, yes, he was still thinking about what might have been in the matchplay. In the semi-final, he had a two-hole lead over Davis Love with two holes to play - but lost in extra holes, eventually losing out to a birdie on the third play-off hole.
"I made a mental mistake in the match with Davis. He had just given me the 16th hole (to go two up) and I should have focused on the next hole before starting to think about playing Tiger.
"It was a mental mistake, and I can't remember the last time I got ahead of myself. It doesn't happen too often. But I really wanted to play Tiger in a final again and I got ahead of myself and paid the penalty for it."
Still, while it was on his mind, there were no regrets and Clarke is happy Woods has kept to his decision to play in this week's Dubai Desert Classic.
"Any time he plays, it brings up the spectre of the tournament," he insisted. "To have both Tiger and Ernie here, the number one and number three in the world, is fantastic."
It also means the world ranking points in this event will probably be greater than those on offer in this week's US Tour event and, for Clarke, that is important too.
Although he remains 13th in the world rankings, he has "narrowed the gap" on those ahead. "I'm very close to a top 10 now," he said.
Indeed, Clarke is playing like a world top-10 player. He has jumped to number one on the European Tour Order of Merit - with €449,122 in prize money - and also tops the European Ryder Cup (world points) table and is determined to maintain the momentum from La Costa.
