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.
