Jimenez happy to soak up the charm

The first thing which Miguel Angel Jimenez did yesterday morning, after narrowly losing the Dubai Desert Classic title to Ernie Els on Sunday, was to visit the cigar shop at the Abu Dhabi Duty Free.

"I enjoyed it and this morning at the cigar shop and later here at the sand course it has been equally interesting but different," said the Spaniard, smoking his third cigar of the day.

"This is my normal quota. I smoke three even on a normal day," he said, adding that he would take a two-week rest after the Qatar event.

"It is a totally different form of golf. But more important it is good to play the game in front of the locals on their course-sand. It doesn't happen in many sport," was how Ryder Cup winner Colin Montgomerie put things in perspective.

"I hit the ball twice into the water and this is something I have to tell back home. Water on a sand course!", said Bradley Dredge of Wales.

"It seems to be happening in twos- in Dubai I hit the grandstand twice and here the water twice," he added.

Commenting on his experience on sand, British Masters Champion in 2004, Barry Lane said, "The desert or sand roughs are more punishing than the grass roughs."

Meanwhile, 2004 Tenerife Ladies Open winner Diana Luna, who finished with 85 (+14) said the control on sand was quite challenging.