The European Tour took a stride towards a less formal future on Wednesday by allowing players to practice in shorts for the first time at the Abu Dhabi HSBC Golf championship. "The players have embraced it," said the tour's chief executive, Keith Pelley, said before the opening tournament of the 'Desert Swing' through Abu Dhabi, Dubai and Qatar. Former world number one Rory McIlroy was one who welcomed the change, in one of the world's more socially conservative regions. More...