New Dubai resident Porteous wants to win the Abu Dhabi Challenge on ‘home soil’

Dubai-based Garrick Porteous shot a third-round six under par 64 to secure a three-way tie in the 72-hole $300,000 Abu Dhabi Challenge at Al Ain Equestrian, Shooting and Golf Club on the Challenge Tour.

The 34-year-old English golfer finds himself alongside France’s Alex Levy and second-round co-leader Wilco Nienaber from South Africa on 17 under par.

Porteous had a steady front nine of 33 with two birdies and no bogeys and then had a run of four birdies from the 11th - then bogeyed 15 and finished strong with a final hole birdie four.

The six-foot-one-inch tall player from Essex, moved to the UAE last September.

“My approach play has been a lot better this week than it has been,” he said after his round. “I’ve been making the most of the opportunities that have been presented to me.

“It’s quite an accessible golf course and generous off the tee, so you’ve got to be very dialled in with your second shots.

“I did it really well yesterday, I think I had five or six that were pretty much stiff, and then I had a couple today,” Porteous added. “It always makes life easier. It would be great to win on home soil since my sole victory on the Challenge Tour in 2017 was in Prague.”

Porteous, whose wife is a teacher in Dubai, practises at Trump International Golf Club, Dubai.

He has his DP World Tour card from the 2023 Qualifying School, and his next event on the DP World Tour will be at the Soudal Open in Belgium in May.

UAE’s Joshua Grenville-Wood shot a third-round 70 with just one birdie and one bogey to go along with his first two rounds of 66 and 69 to be in tied 49th place at seven under par.

Scotsman Craig Howie who represents Al Ain Equestrian, Shooting & Golf Club shot a level par 70 to be in tied 65th on four under par.

With 16 players all within four shots of the leaders, it looks like it is anyone’s to win.

Round four gets underway tomorrow (Sunday) at 7:30 am local time, with Porteous, Nienaber and Levy set to tee off in the final group at 9:30 am.

Leading Third Round Scores

(7,117 Yards, Par 70)

Porteous (Eng) 66. 63. 64. 193.

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