A round-up of today's other stories in brief

Top 100 is where Lawrie wants to be

PETER Lawrie has recorded eight top-10 finishes on tour this year and has his sights set on finally breaking into the top-100 on the official world golf rankings.

The 36-year-old Dubliner – who yesterday shot a second round 67 for a midway total of 143 to climb up 30 places on the leaderboard to a share of 25th – is ranked 112th in the world. “My goal at the start of the year was to break into the top 100 and playing in better fields; it is easier to move up the world rankings. I have been very consistent this season, but just haven’t holed my fair share of putts at all this year. It is the only stat that I’ve gotten worse in.

“I’ve always had ambitions. I mightn’t give that impression all the time, but I’ve always had a desire to do well,” added Lawrie, who will take a seven-week break after Dubai before returning to the Middle East for a run of four tournaments, starting with Abu Dhabi in late-January.

Donald the global circuit moneybags

WITH the pot of gold on offer here in Dubai, things could very well change – but Luke Donald arrived here for the European Tour’s end-of-season money fest with the distinction of having won more money on the global circuit than any other player in 2010. Coming here, money bags Donald had amassed worldwide winnings of €4,162,415

Harrington about to join the tweeters

THE Twitter craze which has swept through the golf tours – in Europe and in the United States – has, so far, missed out on the musings of Pádraig Harrington. But that is about to change, as the Dubliner prepares to join an army of tweeters that includes Ian Poulter, Rory McIroy, Graeme McDowell, Lee Westwood and, only recently, Tiger Woods.

The reason for finally getting ready to join the Twitter revolution?

“I think, like all professional golfers, we have an ego that we think we’re worth listening to. It’s an interesting phenomenon – your fans want it and, at the end of the day, fans of mine want me to be on Twitter. They’ve come up to me and asked, so yes, it looks like I’ll be doing it soon.”

Any timeline? “I don’t know. I thought I would be up and running by now. I do have all the gadgets and I have a strong understanding of technology. The thing is, I’m not big into the gadgets themselves.”

Let’s hope he comes up with a better opening gambit than Tiger’s, “What’s up guys?”

Poulter doing all right with white

IAN Poulter can hardly do anything wrong since taking possession of his all-white Cobra driver in Shanghai earlier this month. But the Englishman – a winner in Hong Kong last week – doesn’t believe there is any technical reason for making the club white from toe-to-shaft-to-grip.

“They wanted a different look. No-one had brought out a white head, white shaft, white driver before. I think they say it’s more relaxing on the eye. Whether that’s the reason for me hitting more fairways in the last four weeks, I’m not sure. But it is in play an awful lot.”