Round 2 of Season 3 of the Ultimate Golf Challenge promises a dramatic shift in both stage and strategy as the action moves to the championship-renowned Earth Course at Jumeirah Golf Estates on February 26, home of the DP World Tour Championship.

After a thrilling opening round of Stableford action at Saadiyat Beach Golf Club, the league now flips to the far more tactical and player-focused Elite Matchplay format, a twist that could redefine the leaderboard in a single day.

Widely regarded as one of the region’s most demanding layouts, the Earth Course will test nerve, precision and course management of all participants, but it is the format change that adds the most intrigue.

Match play, unlike traditional stroke play, is a hole-by-hole battle where every hole becomes its own contest. Win a hole, gain the edge; halve it, and the tension carries forward. The objective is simple yet ruthless: win more holes than your opponent.

For the Ultimate Golf Challenge, the stakes are amplified. Five players representing each of the ten teams will compete in nine concurrent matchplay rounds, earning five points for a win and two for a half.

Brandon De Souza, Tournament Director of the Ultimate Golf Challenge, briefs players during Season 3.

Brandon De Souza, Tournament Director, UGC, underlined how pivotal Round 2 could be and how it can impact the overall standings.

“While there are only five players playing, there are 45 points an individual player can gain for his team and multiple times if they all win their games which is close to 225 points. This can be a massive jump for teams languishing at the lower end of the table,” said De Souza.

“It’s a nice spin, it's very different. Either way, you’re going to be a hero or villain for your team. But the way the leaderboard is structured, this is really a moving day, a potentially game-changing day. It's super exciting.”