Challenge Tour: Porteous's win in Al Ain and Dubai amateur Oscar Craig's promising debut were the standout performances

With the Challenge Tour events now behind us let’s review the two weeks of the Abu Dhabi Challenge at Al Ain Equestrian, Shooting and Golf Club and the UAE Challenge at Saadiyat Beach Golf Club, the latter of which was held for the second time at the same venue and both boasting a prizefund of $300,000.

The highlights for the local scene included the win in Al Ain by Dubai-based Garrick Porteous from England and 17-year-old amateur Oscar Craig, representing Jumeirah Golf Estates, making the cut at Saadiyat Beach on his professional debut.

Thrity-four-year-old Porteous is now in seventh place on the Road to Mallorca Challenge Tour Order of Merit Rankings.

He has his dual card status on both the DP World Tour, gained through the Qualifying School at the end of last year and the Challenge Tour. His next event on the DP World Tour will be the Soudal Open in Belgium in late May.

Porteous is another example of the growing number of players on the various golf tours around the world, both men and ladies at all levels, choosing Dubai and the UAE as their primary bases and homes - ostensibly for the climate, location and quality of golf facilities and so much more. And why not? From the noise around the players, it is anticipated that this number will grow over the coming years.

Promising UAE golfer Joshue Grenville-Wood, who finished tied 55th in Al Ain but missed the cut at Saadiyat, is now 24th in the Rankings.

The top 20 at the end of the season-long Challenge Tour Rankings will be rewarded with their DP World Tour cards for the following year. We wish continued success to Grenville-Wood who plays under the UAE and has the best finish this season tied for second in the Delhi Challenge in March.

The Emirates Golf Federation, as part of their long-term partnership with the DP World Tour, received 30 invites for each event – which were allocated to UAE Nationals, UAE amateurs, local UAE professionals as well as winners of EGF Order of Merit events. In addition, golfers from Clutch Pro Tour events hosted in the UAE and arranged reciprocal invites with other Golf Federations and tournaments around the world to encourage invites for UAE players, both male and female, to gain experience and access to international events.

Tom Phillips, Head of Middle East - DP World Tour, said: “We thank all our stakeholders for a fantastic two weeks in the UAE for the Challenge Tour. Our long-term partnership

with the Emirates Golf Federation has been established, amongst other key objectives, to encourage continued development of the game in the UAE - which is very important to us all.

“It was very rewarding to see amateur Oscar Craig, receive one of the EGF amateurs invites to participate last week in the UAE Challenge at Saadiyat Beach Golf Club. To make the cut was a tremendous achievement and deserves our congratulations and highlighting.

“The quality of the fields of our Challenge Tour events is outstanding as we continue to provide opportunities for the stars of tomorrow. We look forward to hosting future events and more local players, whether UAE Nationals or expats, gain experience as they participate in a high level of international golf,” Phillips added.

Players to have historically come through the Challenge Tour include Justin Rose, Tommy Fleetwood, Matteo Manassero, who has won once again on the DP World Tour this year and Thomas Bjorn.

Challenge Tour Rankings Top 10

(after the UAE Challenge at Saadiyat Beach Golf Club)

Neergaard-Petersen (Den)

Levy (Fr)

Lindberg (Swe)

• Abu Dhabi Sports Council team win Pro-Am at Saadiyat Golf Club