Staff WriterDefending champion Garrick Porteous stormed into a one‑shot lead at the Abu Dhabi Challenge, firing a four‑under‑par 66 in Saturday’s third round at Al Ain Equestrian, Shooting and Golf Club.
Porteous, two strokes adrift of the overnight leader, bounced back from early bogeys to seize control of the Abu Dhabi Challenge leaderboard heading into Sunday’s finale.
Porteous’s Rollercoaster Round
Porteous began the day nervously, dropping shots at the 2nd and 4th holes. But the 35‑year‑old Englishman—now based in the UAE—found his groove with birdies at 6, 7 and 9 to get back to one under through the turn.
Three more gains on the back nine, including a closing birdie, lifted him to 14 under for the tournament.
“I started off poorly. I was a couple over through five and then managed a few birdies to get one under through nine and then played well on the back,” Porteous said.
“I was just trying to hit greens. The greens are a lot firmer this year and releasing out a lot. If you miss the fairway you’ve got to try and find the putting surface.
“I’ve just had one swing thought all week and I got away from that a bit at the start.
Obviously, the greens are pure so if you start rolling it well you’ve got a good chance of it going in.”
Aiming for Back‑to‑Back Titles
Having won the Abu Dhabi Challenge 12 months ago with a 24‑under total, Porteous is relishing the chance to defend his crown.
With his wife caddying and good spirits on the course, he feels ready for another charge.
“I am excited. I’ve got my wife on my bag, she came up last night so it’s still a relaxed atmosphere and we are having fun on the course,” he added.
“There are so many good guys right behind me. The course sets up for a lot of birdies so if I can create the birdies then people have got to overtake me.”
The Chasers Lurk
Italian Renato Paratore, winner of last week’s UAE Challenge, sits one shot back at 13 under after a brilliant 65. Three players share third place on 12 under:
- American Davis Bryant
- Spaniard Sebastian Garcia
- Frenchman Robin Sciot‑Siegrist
A pack of contenders—including Dane Victor Sidal Svendsen (11 under), Christoffer Bring, JC Ritchie, Chase Hanna, Will Enefer and Felix Mory—all remain firmly in the hunt.
Sunday’s Showdown
The final round of the Abu Dhabi Challenge tees off at 07:30 on Sunday, with Porteous, Paratore and Bryant forming the last group at 09:30.
With birdie opportunities aplenty on this forgiving layout, tomorrow promises a thrilling battle for the title.
