Portugal’s Ricardo Gouveia won the inaugural Abu Dhabi Challenge in dramatic fashion on Sunday, by eagling the closing hole to seal a two-shot victory.
The 2015 Challenge Tour Rankings winner began the final day four shots back from 54-hole leader Tom Lewis, but posted a brilliant 6-under-par 66 at Abu Dhabi Golf Club to prevail.
Gouveia recorded his first eagle of a thrilling final round on the eighth hole before his grandstand finish included a birdie on 17 and that title-clinching eagle on the last.
On a Sunday in which five different players topped the leaderboard, Gouveia’s 19-under par was enough to capture the crown, with Lewis heading a four-man group in second place. Dubai resident Joshua Grenville-Wood, South African Wilco Nienaber and Ivan Cantero Gutierrez of Spain joined the two-time DP World Tour winner on 17-under.
Speaking after securing a sixth Challenge Tour title and first since August 2021, Gouveia said: “It was a crazy day. I didn’t feel like I brought my best game off the tee, but I managed myself really well.
“I knew the pins were going to be tucked away and my strategy was really good. I holed some nice putts and I’m so happy to finish on top.
“I tried to focus on finishing the round strong because, in golf, you never know what can happen. It was a special way to finish, and I’m delighted right now.”
Marking the Challenge Tour’s return to the UAE for the first time in five years, the Abu Dhabi Challenge was the first of back-to-back events taking place in the Emirates as part of the European Tour group’s long-term partnership with the Emirates Golf Federation.
Gouveia, 31, will look to make it successive successes at next week’s UAE Challenge at Saadiyat Beach Golf Club, which begins on Thursday.
On Sunday, Gouveia birdied his fourth before dropping a shot at the next, only to pick up two with the chip-in on eight. He then birdied 12 and 15, but bogeyed 16, before concluding his week's work in spectacular fashion.
“I have done a lot of mental preparation recently and I have managed my nerves a lot better,” Gouveia said. “I have been using the pressure as fuel coming down the stretch.
“I had a good pre-season, and I knew my game was heading in the right direction. I didn’t start the season great, but I had five weeks of very good preparation for this event, and I felt ready to compete at the top of the leaderboard again.
“I’m going to play next week on the Challenge Tour. After this win I have gained so much confidence.”
Gouveia’s win in the capital lifts him to ninth place in the Challenge Tour’s seasonal standings, the Road to Mallorca Rankings. Frenchman Ugo Coussaud, who finished tied-15th in Abu Dhabi, remains top, with South African JJ Senekal still in second place and Swede Adam Blomme in third.
Specs
Engine: 51.5kW electric motor
Range: 400km
Power: 134bhp
Torque: 175Nm
Price: From Dh98,800
Available: Now
FIXTURES
All times UAE ( 4 GMT)
Saturday
Fiorentina v Torino (8pm)
Hellas Verona v Roma (10.45pm)
Sunday
Parma v Napoli (2.30pm)
Genoa v Crotone (5pm)
Sassuolo v Cagliari (8pm)
Juventus v Sampdoria (10.45pm)
Monday
AC Milan v Bologna (10.45om)
Playing September 30
Benevento v Inter Milan (8pm)
Udinese v Spezia (8pm)
Lazio v Atalanta (10.45pm)
Who has lived at The Bishops Avenue?
- George Sainsbury of the supermarket dynasty, sugar magnate William Park Lyle and actress Dame Gracie Fields were residents in the 1930s when the street was only known as ‘Millionaires’ Row’.
- Then came the international super rich, including the last king of Greece, Constantine II, the Sultan of Brunei and Indian steel magnate Lakshmi Mittal who was at one point ranked the third richest person in the world.
- Turkish tycoon Halis Torprak sold his mansion for £50m in 2008 after spending just two days there. The House of Saud sold 10 properties on the road in 2013 for almost £80m.
- Other residents have included Iraqi businessman Nemir Kirdar, singer Ariana Grande, holiday camp impresario Sir Billy Butlin, businessman Asil Nadir, Paul McCartney’s former wife Heather Mills.
Hunting park to luxury living
- Land was originally the Bishop of London's hunting park, hence the name
- The road was laid out in the mid 19th Century, meandering through woodland and farmland
- Its earliest houses at the turn of the 20th Century were substantial detached properties with extensive grounds
MATCH INFO
Pakistan 106-8 (20 ovs)
Iftikhar 45, Richardson 3-18
Australia 109-0 (11.5 ovs)
Warner 48 no, Finch 52 no
Australia win series 2-0
Tamkeen's offering
- Option 1: 70% in year 1, 50% in year 2, 30% in year 3
- Option 2: 50% across three years
- Option 3: 30% across five years
If you go
The flights Etihad (www.etihad.com) and Spice Jet (www.spicejet.com) fly direct from Abu Dhabi and Dubai to Pune respectively from Dh1,000 return including taxes. Pune airport is 90 minutes away by road.
The hotels A stay at Atmantan Wellness Resort (www.atmantan.com) costs from Rs24,000 (Dh1,235) per night, including taxes, consultations, meals and a treatment package.
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Game Changer
Director: Shankar
Stars: Ram Charan, Kiara Advani, Anjali, S J Suryah, Jayaram
Rating: 2/5
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Is it worth it? We put cheesecake frap to the test.
The verdict from the nutritionists is damning. But does a cheesecake frappuccino taste good enough to merit the indulgence?
My advice is to only go there if you have unusually sweet tooth. I like my puddings, but this was a bit much even for me. The first hit is a winner, but it's downhill, slowly, from there. Each sip is a little less satisfying than the last, and maybe it was just all that sugar, but it isn't long before the rush is replaced by a creeping remorse. And half of the thing is still left.
The caramel version is far superior to the blueberry, too. If someone put a full caramel cheesecake through a liquidiser and scooped out the contents, it would probably taste something like this. Blueberry, on the other hand, has more of an artificial taste. It's like someone has tried to invent this drink in a lab, and while early results were promising, they're still in the testing phase. It isn't terrible, but something isn't quite right either.
So if you want an experience, go for a small, and opt for the caramel. But if you want a cheesecake, it's probably more satisfying, and not quite as unhealthy, to just order the real thing.
The Prison Letters of Nelson Mandela
Edited by Sahm Venter
Published by Liveright
The specs
Engine: Four electric motors, one at each wheel
Power: 579hp
Torque: 859Nm
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Price: From Dh825,900
On sale: Now
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