If, after 26 years of a storied career as a Tour pro, Lee Westwood is excited to be contending for the Falcon Trophy, then consider the case of his Sunday afternoon playing partner Francesco Laporta.
Aged 29, Laporta is starting out on just his second season on the European Tour.
His first crack at the big time, in 2016, lasted just a season before he lost his card and had to drop back down to the second-tier Challenge Tour.
His best finish back then was tied for 22nd at a tournament in Morocco that he was leading after two rounds – just as he had been here in the capital this weekend.
He will start the last day of the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship presented by EGA in the final three-ball, a shot behind leader Westwood, and level with Bernd Wiesberger.
Stars are all around. Former Masters champion Sergio Garcia is in the group behind, as is the 2016 DP World Tour Championship winner Matt Fitzpatrick.
The likes of Louis Oosthuizen, Patrick Cantlay and Brooks Koepka – only the world’s No 1 golfer – will start Round 4 well behind him.
It is already dreamy stuff for the Italian. He acknowledged he will be doing his best to avoid looking at the leaderboard on his final trip round the National Course, but he is aware he will have his work cut out.
“It would be just a dream,” Laporta said, after signing for a 3-under par 69 in Round 3. “I just want to think about my score and my game. I’ll be trying not to see the leaderboard, but it's not going to be easy.
“There’s going to be leaderboards everywhere. I think it's going to be a good day tomorrow.”
While Wiesberger might not have quite the level of celebrity as Westwood et al, he is far more used to this sort of company than Laporta. He was, after all, playing for the Race to Dubai title last time he was in the country.
The Austrian’s third-round 65 matched that of the leader Westwood, and he is happy with his game going into the last day.
“I'm very confident with my irons right now and the putter is starting to warm up, as well, so I'm looking forward to Sunday,” Wiesberger said.
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Day 3 at Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship
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Ross Fisher on the sixth hole. Victor Besa / The National -
Tommy Fleetwood sets his shot on the sixth hole. Victor Besa / The National -
Martin Kaymer in action on the sixth hole. Victor Besa / The National -
Bruce Koepka tees off on the seventh hole. Victor Besa / The National -
Tommy Fleetwood powers through the bunker on the eighth hole. Victor Besa / The National -
Thomas Pieters in action on the first hole. Victor Besa / The National -
Nicolas Colsaerts reviews the green on the eighth hole. Victor Besa / The National -
Lee Westwood in action on the first hole. Victor Besa / The National -
Renato Paratore on the first hole. Victor Besa / The National -
Sergio Garcia powers through a bunker on the first hole. Victor Besa / The National -
Rafa Cabrera Bello tees off on the second tee. Victor Besa / The National -
Matthew Fitzpatrick tees off on the second tee. Victor Besa / The National -
Renato Paratore tees off on the second tee. Victor Besa / The National -
Haotong Ll tees off on the second tee. Victor Besa / The National -
Francesco Laporta tees off on the second tee. Victor Besa / The National -
Patrick Cantlay on the bunker of the 15th hole. Victor Besa / The National -
Sergio Garcia on the 17th hole. Victor Besa / The National -
Kurt Kitayama on the 17th hole. Victor Besa / The National -
Lee Westwood on the 18th hole takes the lead on the third day of the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship with a -14 PAR. Victor Besa / The National
