Porteous Takes One-Shot Lead Heading into Final Round of Abu Dhabi Challenge
Defending champion Garrick Porteous surged to the top of the leaderboard on Saturday with a solid third-round performance, carding a four-under-par 66 at the Al Ain Equestrian, Shooting and Golf Club to lead the Abu Dhabi Challenge by a single stroke.
The Dubai-based golfer, who began the day two shots behind overnight leader Robin Sciot-Siegrist, endured a shaky start with bogeys on the second and fourth holes. However, he quickly found his rhythm, recovering with birdies on the sixth, seventh, and ninth to make the turn at one-under for the day.
Porteous, 35, kept the momentum on the back nine, adding three more birdies, including one on the 18th, to finish the round at 14-under-par for the tournament. He now holds a narrow lead over Renato Paratore, the recent UAE Challenge winner, who shot a 65 to reach 13-under.
'I started off poorly—two over through five—but I managed to recover well on the front nine and played solid golf coming in,' said Porteous, who stepped back from full-time professional golf at the end of last year. 'I've just had one swing thought all week. I got away from that a bit at the start, but the greens are pure, and if you start rolling it well, you've got a good chance.'
The Englishman, who won last year's Abu Dhabi Challenge with a blistering 24-under-par finish, is eyeing back-to-back HotelPlanner Tour titles. Adding a personal touch to his title defense, Porteous has his wife caddying for him this week.
'I'm excited. It's still a relaxed atmosphere and we're having fun on the course,' he said. 'There are a lot of strong players just behind me, and with this course, birdie opportunities are everywhere. If I keep creating chances, I can stay in front.'
Chasing Porteous is a competitive field, with American Davis Bryant, Spaniard Sebastian Garcia, and France's Robin Sciot-Siegrist tied at 12-under-par. Denmark's Victor Sidal Svendsen sits one stroke further back at 11-under, just ahead of a group of players at 10-under, including JC Ritchie (RSA), Chase Hanna (USA), Will Enefer (ENG), Christoffer Bring (DEN), and Felix Mory (FRA).
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