For golfers playing in an international ice and snow tournament on an Arctic island yesterday, the word "hazard" has a whole different meaning.
The biggest hazard, polar bears, could eat them.
Then of course there are the freezing temperatures, slippery surfaces, and the risk of snow blindness in a frozen world where "driving" more often refers to snow than smacking a golf ball.
But extreme conditions are part of the point of the fifth annual Drambuie World Ice Golf Championship, which opened yesterday on the remote Svalbard archipelago, roughly 1,000km from the North Pole.
The golf contest is staged in a different locale every year. Last year's event in Greenland was canceled because the weather was too warm. This year, however, warm temperatures are not a concern.
"We're wearing a lot of layers. Everyone looks like the Michelin man," said event spokeswoman Caroline Sutcliffe by telephone from Svalbard, adding that some players were wearing full face masks and goggles, making it hard to tell who was who.
Thirty-four players, some professional, are making the rounds of the 18-hole course created in the snow and ice of Advent Fjord, near the Norwegian settlement of Longyearbyen, on the main island of Spitsbergen.
Residents, many of whom turned out to watch, were delighted by the interest in their far flung corner of the Polar region.
"We are thrilled that such a great international golfing event as is being staged in Spitsbergen," said Tove Eliassen of Svalbard Tourism. "The ice-golf tournament will help to really put us on the world map."
Experts estimate that there may be as many polar bears as there are people -- about 3,000 -- on the islands, some 500km north of Norway's mainland.
The bears can weigh between 200-to 400kg, and they have no fear of humans, meaning that the normal attire for Svalbard residents also includes a high-powered hunting rifle.
"We do have polar bear spotters on the course," said Sutcliffe. "There are four of them with rifles."
During a practice round on Thursday, the wind chill factor brought the apparent temperature down to minus 26?C, she said.
"Yesterday was tough," she said. "People were hitting balls into the wind, it was snowing, and sometimes when they reached the balls they were already covered with snow."
Apart from the cold, the polar bears, and the other risks, playing in the extreme cold, snow and ice presents other challenges.
Balls don't fly as far in the heavy, cold air. It isn't possible to use a tee, so players have to build tiny mounds of snow. On the greens, or more appropriately whites, it can be like putting on marble, without the resistance of grass.
Instead of golf shoes, the players wear crampons -- the spikes used by mountain climbers -- under their boots as they carry their bags around the icy course. It's hard to make a decent swing, because of all the layers of clothing and sometimes heavy mittens.
There is so much snow and ice that outside the few settlements, the main form of ground transport is snowmobiles or dogsleds.
And that could present another challenge to the Arctic golfers. Dogsleds always have the right to play through the course.
The winner, expected to be crowned tomorrow, gets a locally carved stone polar bear and a coveted winner's jacket.
OUT AGAINST INDONESIA: Taiwan reached the semi-finals at the tournament for the first time by defeating Denmark, with Chou Tien-chen beating Viktor Axelsen Taiwan yesterday crashed out of the Thomas Cup team competition in Chengdu, China, but achieved their best result at the top-tier badminton event by reaching the semi-finals. Indonesia were too good in the semis, winning 3-0 to advance to today’s final against China, who eliminated Malaysia 3-1. In the opening singles of the men’s team clash at the Hi-Tech Zone Sports Center Gymnasium 2, Anthony Ginting defeated Taiwan’s Chou Tien-chen 21-18, 21-19 in 51 minutes, which put a huge hole in Taiwan’s aspirations to perhaps even make the final. In the men’s doubles, Fajar Alfian and Muhammad Ardianto downed Lee Yang and Wang
NO DOUBT: Spurs star Wembanyama was unanimously selected as NBA Rookie of the Year, winning all 99 votes to become the first Frenchman to capture the honor The Minnesota Timberwolves on Monday night produced a dominant defensive display to seize a commanding 2-0 lead in their best-of-seven playoff series against the Denver Nuggets with a 106-80 road victory. The third-seeded Timberwolves harassed Denver relentlessly to claim a second straight win over the NBA champions as the series heads back to Minneapolis for Game 3 on Friday. Karl-Anthony Towns and Anthony Edwards scored 27 points apiece, but the star of the show was Minnesota’s suffocating defensive effort, which knocked Denver out of their stride almost from the tip-off. The Timberwolves finished with 11 steals and 12 blocks, in sharp contrast to
Top-ranked Iga Swiatek on Saturday came through “the most intense and crazy final” she has ever contested to avenge her loss to Aryna Sabalenka in last year’s Madrid Open final with a grueling three hour, 11 minute victory in the Spanish capital. Coming back from 1-3 down in the decider and saving three match points in total, Swiatek claimed a 7-5, 4-6, 7-6 (9/7) victory to secure the Madrid Open trophy for the first time. “Well, who is going to say now that women’s tennis is boring, right?” Swiatek said. Swiatek, who picked up the 20th title of her career, and ninth at
One of Malaysia’s top soccer clubs has pulled out of today’s season-opening Charity Shield after a spate of assaults, including an acid attack, on players in the country. It leaves the kickoff of Malaysia’s season this weekend under a cloud following the unprecedented acts of violence against players, which have left the country shocked and angry. Authorities said they have imposed tighter security, but Selangor said that they would not play in the showpiece curtain-raiser against Malaysian Super League champions Johor Darul Ta’zim (JDT) citing “a series of criminal incidents and recent threats.” Selangor and Malaysia winger Faisal Halim is in intensive care