ABU DHABI ALDAR GOLF CHAMPIONSHIP

November 7, 2026

Francesco Laporta

Yas Links

Quick Quotes

Q. Third round 67, fantastic day out there. Your thoughts on moving day, please?

FRANCESCO LAPORTA: I played solid today most of round. I just make 18 a bit more interesting. Yeah, start very well this morning. Way better than yesterday.

I was much more comfortable on the course today, and yeah, I mean, quite happy with my game. Missed a few putts but I mean, the greens are very quick and very slopey, so it's not easy to see the line.

Overall, I'm very happy with my round.

Q. As you just alluded to, three pars and a bogey on your opening four holes today and three birdies in your opening four today. It's a funny old game. Tell us about that?

FRANCESCO LAPORTA: Yeah, crazy, like four shots in one day difference in three holes, maybe five. But yeah, I mean, start well. I hit a good shot on 1. Great shot on 2. I had eagle chance from six metres.

Get quite lucky on 4 because I pulled my irons, also aimed a bit more right of the flag, recovered to get there and stiffed it. A bit different. But I was way more comfortable on the course and way more calm. That helps.

Q. You had a couple of chances but the birdies dried up on the back nine but another clean card. How proud are you of the scrambling and staying in the fight alongside Jon and Tyrrell?

FRANCESCO LAPORTA: Short game around the greens was better. I didn't miss so many greens the last two days. I think the first one 17 today and yesterday 15. The scrambling around the green was pretty good and I had a few chances, to be fair, on the back nine.

I had three chances in a row inside three meters for birdie and didn't make it. Made a good putt on 15. That helps. Good second shot on 16, so yeah, it was tricky out there. Wind is picking up in the afternoon and the greens are getting firmer and very, very quick.

But overall, yeah, as I said, I'm really, really proud.

Q. How important was the par 5 on 17?

FRANCESCO LAPORTA: How important, well, I don't know if it was like unlucky on the second shot -- on the first shot, sorry, and second one, like it just got a little bit too hot. Good read on the putt. That was crucial.

Q. 201 starts on the DP World Tour, tomorrow you have a chance to claim the first title and potentially a life-changing victory. How excited are you for the prospect of tomorrow?

FRANCESCO LAPORTA: I mean, looking forward to tomorrow but right now, just want to go to relax with my family and with my daughter and take some time off from golf.

Tomorrow morning, when I wake up, I'm going to start to think about it. But to be fair, I don't want to go out there thinking about winning. I just want to think about playing my best golf and whatever happens, happens.