Of Spanish Golfers and an Oversized Arabian Coffee Pot

We've written about weird/wonderful golf trophies several times in the past, touching on the whimsicality of some and the creepiness of others.

One of the most impressive however, has got to be the massive Arabian coffee pot awarded to the winner of the Dubai Desert Classic.

This past week the gigantic carafe was on display again.  Throughout the week, it sat on the sidelines at Emirates Golf Club as a strong field of players battled it out on the course.

In the end it was Rafael Cabrera-Bello who won the pot trophy,  holding off a strong field that included Lee Westwood, Rory McIlroy and Martin Kaymer ...among others.  It was the third time... in three years... that a Spanish champion emerged victorious at this event.  You may remember our posts on the victories of Miguel Angel Jimenez and Alvaro Quiros who won in 2010 and 2011 respectively.

This year however, the win was Rafa's, and when the time came to kiss the trophy, he chose to bite it instead.  That's a Spanish thing too,  initiated by another athletic Rafa, tennis star Rafael Nadal.  Many have asked what the gesture signifies, and I don't really know the answer to that.  I just know it's caught on, and now professional and amateur athletes in various sports are doing it... all over the world.

The victory was undoubtedly a huge for Señor Cabrera-Bello who hasn't had a win since October 2009 at the Austrian Open.  It's a stellar start to his season... and the ginormous Arabian coffee pot looks like it was quite a mouthful.