Porteous comes full circle to Al Ain and tees it up again where it all came together
However, the Englishman approaches the event from an entirely different perspective to when he put together a flawless final round of 63 to win a second HotelPlanner Tour title finishing e shot clear of Frenchman Alexander Levy.
Despite the triumph on home soil and retaining his HotelPlanner Tour playing privileges after the 2024 Road to Mallorca, Porteous decided to call time on his 10-year playing career, which saw him compete on both the HotelPlanner Tour and the DP World Tour.
'All the travel was just wearing away at me,' said Porteous, who continues to work in the golf industry as a brand manager. 'I just kind of fell out of love with playing tournament golf, to be honest. Being away from my wife, friends, and family takes its toll and eats away at you.
'I did my PGA qualification, which opens a lot more doors than just playing. I felt it was the right time for me to call it a day, as I wanted to explore other things instead of playing professional golf all my life.
'At the end of the day, everyone has to retire at some point. For me, the timing was right, and it was the best decision.'
Although he stepped away from full-time life on Tour, the 35-year-old couldn't resist the opportunity to compete once again on home soil.
Last week, he returned to the DP World Tour's feeder circuit at the UAE Challenge, held at Al Zorah Golf & Yacht Club, with his victory on the HotelPlanner Tour last year securing him a spot in the UAE double-header.
Now living a very different life from his days as a touring professional, where a relentless daily grind was essential to staying at the top of his game, Porteous has embraced a new approach to prepare for the defence of his trophy on familiar ground.
'I've been playing the odd Emirates PGA competition as I'm eligible for those because I'm PGA qualified,' he said.
'Kieran Pratt (Championship Director, Emirates Golf Federation) does an amazing job setting up the schedule for all the pros out here to compete and puts a bit of money into it - luckily enough, I've won a couple of them.
'It's great for me, as I've obviously been living here for a couple of years but never really had a chance to meet the other teaching pros or those in the golf industry, so it's been very beneficial for me to play those events.'
In the Garden City, Porteous carded rounds of 74 and 70, missing the cut in his first HotelPlanner Tour start since October.
Given his decision to step back from the daily grind of life on Tour, the result came as little surprise for the former Amateur Championship winner, who heads into this week's event with similarly modest expectations.
That said, his fond memories of the venue and appreciation for a course that complements his game have him quietly aiming to make it through to the weekend.
'I've got great memories of my victory in Al Ain last year,' he said.
'It's very beneficial to be long off the tee, which I usually am, and then you have to be great on the greens because it's a very scorable course, so you need to make a lot of birdies. I'm really looking forward to getting back up there, but honestly, I have no expectations of what I'm going to do this week or how my prep will be.
'I really enjoyed the atmosphere up in Al Ain. It's a lot more chill than Dubai - you can certainly escape from the hustle and bustle! I'm staying up there as well, so it will be nice to just take it all in again and relive some memories.
'I'll be happy if I can make the cut. To string four rounds together would be amazing because it's something I haven't done in a while. Let's see how it goes.'
Porteous will compete alongside a host of star names aiming to secure their place on the DP World Tour next season, including last week's champion Renato Paratore, two-time DP World Tour winner Eddie Pepperell, Dubai-based Adri Arnaus, and the UAE's own Joshua Grenville-Wood.
Crucial support for the tournament comes from Abu Dhabi Sports Council, UAE-headquartered Arena, Al Laith, and eGolf Megastore. Golf fans can attend the event free of charge, with world-class action on display throughout the week.
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