Latest news with #AbuDhabiChallenge
Khaleej Times
20-04-2025
- Sport
- Khaleej Times
'I still can't believe that', says Paratore after sealing back-to-back HotelPlanner Tour wins
'I still can't believe it!' said an elated Renato Paratore after clinching his second consecutive HotelPlanner Tour title in the UAE, capping off a sensational fortnight with a four-under-par 66 to win the Abu Dhabi Challenge in Al Ain. The Italian, who lifted the UAE Challenge trophy just a week earlier, once again showed nerves of steel with birdies on two of his last four holes—finishing at 17 under par and edging out Scotsman David Law and Spain's Sebastian Garcia by a single stroke. Law had set a fierce clubhouse target with a blistering nine-under 61, but Paratore held firm under pressure. Entering the final round one shot off the lead, Paratore picked up shots on the fifth and seventh holes to gain early momentum. Despite a couple of back-nine bogeys, the 28-year-old bounced back with clutch birdies—including a decisive one at the par-five 18th after reaching the green in two. 'I felt confident coming into today because I won last week,' Paratore said. 'But I knew it was going to be tough with so many in contention. I'm really proud of how I handled it.' Garcia and Law shared second place at 16 under, while American Davis Bryant finished third at 15 under. A quartet of players, including Frenchman Robin Siegrist and Italy's Stefano Mazzoli, tied for fifth at 14 under. Paratore's double triumph rockets him to second in the Road to Mallorca Rankings, further fueled by support from the Abu Dhabi Sports Council, Arena, Al Laith, and eGolf Megastore.
Daily Tribune
19-04-2025
- Sport
- Daily Tribune
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).
Khaleej Times
19-04-2025
- Sport
- Khaleej Times
Dubai's Porteous steps into the spotlight as title defense builds to a thrilling climax
Dubai resident Garrick Porteous is just 18 holes away from a remarkable title defence after seizing the third-round lead at the Abu Dhabi Challenge with a composed four-under-par 66 at Al Ain Equestrian, Shooting and Golf Club. Chasing Porteous closely is Italian Renato Paratore at 13 under, following a five-under 65. Davis Bryant (USA), Sebastian Garcia (Spain), and Robin Sciot-Siegrist (France) are all two shots back at 12 under, with a tightly packed leaderboard promising fireworks in the final round. The 35-year-old, who now calls Dubai home, has been making the most of his local knowledge and comfort in the UAE, navigating the firm greens and fiery fairways to sit one stroke clear at 14 under par heading into Sunday's final round. '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,' said Porteous, who stepped back from full-time professional golf last year but clearly still has the firepower to compete at the top. His back nine included three key birdies—none more clutch than the one at the 18th, which nudged him ahead of Paratore and set up a thrilling finale in the Garden City. '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," Porteous added. '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.' Backed By Love Last year, Porteous won this very event with a dazzling 24 under par. Now, with his wife joining him on the bag this weekend, he's looking to keep the vibe relaxed while chasing another big win on home soil. '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 said '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.' As the leading Dubai-based contender, Porteous is carrying the local hopes into Sunday, with support pouring in from UAE golf fans and sponsors including Abu Dhabi Sports Council, Arena, Al Laith, and eGolf Megastore. Spectators can enjoy the final-round action for free, with world-class competition unfolding in one of the UAE's most scenic golfing settings. Will Porteous go back-to-back in Abu Dhabi and bring home another trophy to Dubai? Sunday promises a dramatic answer.
Khaleej Times
18-04-2025
- Sport
- Khaleej Times
Defending champion Garrick Porteous pushes Sciot-Siegrist in Abu Dhabi thriller
Defending champion and Dubai resident Garrick Porteous admitted that he was surprised by the sharpness of his game after surging into contention at the Abu Dhabi Challenge at Al Ain Equestrian, Shooting and Golf Club. The 35-year-old sits just two shots behind French leader Robin Sciot-Siegrist, who holds a one-stroke advantage over first-round leader, Spaniard Sebastian Garcia. Porteous is proving that class is permanent, even after stepping back from full-time competition at the end of last season. The Englishman came into the week with modest expectations, having brought his 10-year full-time playing career to a close at the end of last season. Competing in his first HotelPlanner Tour event since October — and with only a handful of recent appearances on the Emirates PGA Tour — he has already exceeded his hopes After opening with a solid three-under-par 67, Porteous followed up with an impressive six-under 64 on Friday, carding seven birdies and a single bogey to climb the leaderboard. 'I've surprised myself a little bit,' Porteous admitted. 'I had one swing thought coming into the week, and it's worked so far. Let's hope it continues over the weekend.' 'I played nicely out there. It's a lot tougher than last year — the greens are firm, the rough's up, and there's been a bit of wind in the afternoons. It's been a good test.' Meanwhile, Sciot-Siegrist maintained a clean card to finish with a five-under 65, pushing him to 11-under for the tournament. Starting his round with six straight pars, the Frenchman picked up momentum around the turn and added birdies at 14 and 16. 'I'm just going to keep doing what I'm doing and deal with the pressure,' said Sciot-Siegrist. 'There's still a lot of golf to be played. I've been putting well and today was another solid round.' Dealing with tricky conditions at Al Ain — including firm greens and challenging pin positions — Sciot-Siegrist was pleased to walk away bogey-free. 'With the wind and some tough shots out there, I'm very happy with no bogeys,' he added. Crucial support for the tournament comes from Abu Dhabi Sports Council, Arena, Al Laith, and eGolf Megastore. Golf fans can attend the event free of charge, with top-class action continuing through the weekend.
Khaleej Times
17-04-2025
- Sport
- Khaleej Times
Garcia targets fast Friday start after grabbing opening round lead in Abu Dhabi Challenge
Sebastian Garcia will look to maintain his aggressive approach in Friday's second round of the Abu Dhabi Challenge after a sparkling, bogey-free 63 gave him the outright lead at Al Ain Equestrian, Shooting and Golf Club. The Spaniard, currently 85th in the Road to Mallorca Rankings, fired a seven-under-par opening round to lead by a single stroke over a chasing pack of four players on six-under: Denmark's Victor Sidal Svendsen, Germany's Freddy Schott, France's Robin Sciot-Siegrist, and fellow Spaniard Albert Boneta. Garcia, 36, made a statement early with a birdie on the first and then eagled the driveable par-four fourth. Three more birdies followed around the turn before a steady run of pars and a final birdie on 16 capped an impressive round in the trickier afternoon conditions. 'It will be perfect because there will be no wind and a little fire will be taken out of the course. I won't change anything,' he said. 'This course, you need to be aggressive from the tee and second shots.' Hot on his heels at six under are Dane Victor Sidal Svendsen, German Freddy Schott, France's Robin Sciot-Siegrist and fellow Spaniard Albert Boneta. A further shot back on five under sit Scotland's Daniel Young, Dutchman Daan Huizing, France's Felix Mory and American Chase Hanna. A group of players at four under, including Sweden's Albin Bergstrom and Thailand's Denwit David Boriboonsub, remain well in contention. Defending champion Garrick Porteous made an encouraging return with a three-under 67, despite having stepped back from full-time professional golf. 'If someone told me I was going to shoot three under today, I would have taken it straight away,' said Porteous. 'I felt very relaxed out there, so we'll see how tomorrow goes. I've just got to keep on putting birdies on the scorecard around this place – you never know what can happen.' UAE's Ahmad Skaik, fresh off becoming the first Emirati to make a cut in a European Tour group event last week, signed for an even-par 70 to keep himself in the mix. 'I was hitting the ball pretty well out there,' said Skaik. 'It was pretty tough, a difficult back nine as it was very windy. If you get the wrong yardage on a pin out here, the ball just lands and rolls because it's so firm. It was a challenging back nine, so I'll take level par. I wanted better, but I've put myself in a decent position again.' Round two promises plenty of movement on the leaderboard as players look to position themselves for the weekend. Spectators can attend for free, with support from Abu Dhabi Sports Council, Arena, Al Laith, and eGolf Megastore helping to deliver another high-quality event on the HotelPlanner Tour.
