Liam Nolan will take a two-stroke lead into Saturday’s final round of the Abu Dhabi Challenge. The Irishman carded a bogey-free, seven-under-par 63 at Al Ain Equestrian, Shooting & Golf Club.
Nolan began the day tied for the lead with Finland’s Tapio Pulkkanen and Belgium’s Matthis Besard. However, seven birdies moved him clear at 16 under par for the tournament.
Meanwhile, Pulkkanen sits alone in second after a 65. He is one stroke ahead of Italy’s Matteo Cristoni and Switzerland’s Benjamin Rusch.
Nolan embraces final-round nerves
The 26-year-old is in his second full season on the HotelPlanner Tour. He is now bidding for his first professional win, and he is welcoming the pressure that comes with it.
“I’m sure there will be some nerves that I haven’t felt the first three days but nerves are great,” he said.
“I was pretty nervous when I played the Irish Open but it’s such a cool and fun experience to be nervous and for shots to matter a little bit more.
“It will be the same gameplan and to stick to what I’ve been doing, and we will see where we sit at the end of tomorrow.”
How Nolan built his Abu Dhabi Challenge lead
Nolan opened with three straight pars. He then made his first birdie at the driveable par-four fourth. Next came back-to-back birdies at the sixth and seventh, so he reached the turn in three under.
After that, he picked up another shot at the tenth to move to 13 under. He also birdied the 12th and 14th. Finally, a gain at the testing 16th pulled him clear, and he parred the last two holes.
“I played pretty well on the back nine which was fun because Tapio was also making birdies, so we were bouncing off each other a little bit,” he said.
“I hit lots of nice solid shots into 15 feet and the putter was working well. There’s some pins I didn’t really want to take on due to the steep run-offs but the putter was the main reason for the birdies.
“I’m just going to keep riding this nice wave of good swing thoughts and the ball going straight.”
Road to Mallorca Rankings at stake
Plenty is riding on Saturday for Nolan. He is currently 43rd on the Road to Mallorca Rankings. That puts him just inside the top 45, who advance to the season-ending Grand Final in Mallorca later this month.
In addition, victory at the Abu Dhabi Challenge would lift him to 13th. As a result, he would move inside the promotion places and on track for DP World Tour status in 2027.
Even so, Nolan is keeping his focus firmly on the course.
“I’m not looking at the Rankings at all,” he said. “I’ve found out in amateur golf when you look too far ahead you end up disappointed.
“I want to stay patient, control what I can control and enjoy myself as much as I can and then we’ll look at the Rankings when the season’s done.”
Pulkkanen chasing second win of the season
Pulkkanen is a two-time winner on the HotelPlanner Tour. He is now chasing a second title this season after his victory at the Danish Golf Challenge.
Abu Dhabi Challenge final round details
The Emirates Golf Federation co-organises and sanctions the Abu Dhabi Challenge, with support from Abu Dhabi Sports Council. In addition, the Al Ain Region is Arab Tourism Capital for 2026.
Play in the final round begins at 7.00am on Saturday. Nolan, Pulkkanen and Cristoni will tee off together in the final group at 8.50am. Spectator entry is free.
