Yasin Ali vows to take inspiration from Norman

Yasin Ali vowed to take inspiration from Greg Norman as he came to terms with the heartbreak of missing the cut in the Desert Classic.

The Nad Al Sheba professional appeared on course to book a place in the business end of the tournament after compiling 12 successive pars following a superb one-under first round effort.

But, cruelly and without warning, the rookie's touch deserted him at the par three fourth where he found sand and water to finish with a triple-bogey six.

And the lapse in concentration continued as he dropped shots on the next three holes.

The 23-year-old made par at the eighth but then dropped another shot on his last hole for a second nine of 42 and six-over total for the two days of 150.

He said: "My heart sank right there at the fourth. One minute I was cruising but then suddenly I was behind. I tried to put it behind me but it was like a neon light flashing in my mind."

Yet despite his initial disappointment, Ali remained resolutely upbeat as he reflected on his efforts as well as his golfing future.

"I'm going to keep working like Greg Norman does," he said. "When you think you've done enough you double, treble and even quadruple what you're doing.

"Confidence-wise, I'm not low at all. I'm just hoping that I won't lose too much sleep over those holes as life goes on.

"You have to take the rough with the smooth. Apart from those shots, I played great for 32 holes and would not change anything. It's a huge learning curve for me.

"It's been a great week. I've been playing against the best in the world, getting the chance to see where I am in comparison. Tee to green, I don't feel there's much difference but my short game …"

Ali's voice trailed away before revealing that he plans to play more tournaments. And he is also aiming to take part in the European Tour Qualifying School later in the year.