Garrick Porteous ended a seven-year wait for his second Challenge Tour title with a one-stroke triumph at the Abu Dhabi Challenge.
Garrick, who is from Northumberland and is now based in Dubai, entered the final round in a three-way tie for the lead and carded a bogey-free seven under-par final round of 63 to finish on 24 under-par at Al Ain Equestrian, Shooting & Golf Club. His final round gave him a one-shot victory over five-time DP World Tour winner Alexander Levy.
The 34-year-old, whose last professional win came at the Prague Golf Challenge in 2017, said: “It feels amazing. It was a good battle out there with some great players – Alex played amazing from start to finish.
“You always doubt whether another win will come, but I feel like my game is trending in the right direction. I’ve made plenty of cuts recently, I just needed to get it over the line, like I did today.
“To win on home soil is great, I’ve loved every minute of this week. I’m used to the weather conditions, the heat, the grass type, and the speed of the greens. It definitely helped in the situations this week,” added Garrick – who earned his DP World Tour card through Q School in both 2022 and 2023.
“I know I can play on both the Challenge Tour and the DP World Tour now, and I’m really looking forward to playing in Saadiyat next week.”
Dane Nicolai Kristensen finished in third place on 22 under-par, while Scotland’s Euan Walker matched the course record (10 under-par) to climb into fourth alongside South African Oliver Bekker and Irishman Connor Purcell on 20 under-par.
Meanwhile, Darlington-based Andrew Wilson finished in a tie for 19th place on 15 under-par.
The Road to Mallorca heads to Saadiyat Beach Golf Club for the UAE Challenge next, the second of back-to-back events in the UAE, from April 25-28.
