Vilamoura Golf

Portuguese PGA plans at least two Golf tournaments in 2021

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Portuguese PGA. Pedro Lima Pinto and Nelson Cavalheiro

Pedro Lima Pinto and Nelson Cavalheiro intend to organize the National Professionals Championship in 2021, Photo: Rui Frazão

Portuguese PGA

At a time when the pandemic forced the Portuguese Golf Federation (FPG) to postpone until March the start of the season, the Portuguese PGA confirmed that they will organize some tournaments in 2021, although it is still premature to announce dates and locations.

In a statement published on the official website of the Professional Portuguese Golf Players Association, the following can be read: «PGA Portugal will also organize the PGA Portugal Championship at the end of the year and will continue to develop efforts in the current scenario for the organization of more tournaments and the Pro-Ams.

One of the tournaments being planned, in addition to the aforementioned PGA Portugal Championship, is the Solverde National PGA Championship, the National Professional Golf Championship.

In the past, this tournament was played at Oporto Golf Club between 2015 and 2019 and Vidago Golf Course in 2020.

The most likely dates will be the months of July or September, but we will have to wait for the international calendars, mainly for the Challenge Tour.

For now, the best scenario on the table will be three tournaments for Portuguese Golf Professionals in 2021 with the PGA Portugal, not counting the Pro-Am.

In total, there will be five tournaments on the FPG circuit, in addition to the Absolute National Championship which, for the second consecutive year, will also host professionals. These six events will be organized by the FPG.

Adding the FPG tournaments to the PGA tournaments in Portugal, we may have a total of nine events in 2021 that will form what we can informally call a National Golf Circuit.

If these nine tournaments are confirmed, we will be facing an attractive and competitive season, with all the events counting for the ranking of the Portuguese PGA.

In addition to these nine national tournaments, Portuguese professionals (and the best amateurs) also aim to participate in the two international tournaments in our country: the Portugal Masters of the European Tour (the first European division), in Vilamoura, disputed at Vilamoura Victoria Golf Course, and the Portuguese Open at Royal Óbidos Golf Course, on the Challenge Tour (the second division of European professional golf).

The best national golfers, even if there is no competition abroad, if everything goes according to planed, they can participate in a total of 11 Golf Tournaments.

It is almost one tournament average per month, which, in this pandemic context, is a remarkable effort by FPG and Portuguese PGA.

Of course, everything will depend on fighting COVID-19. The first tournament of the FPG Circuit was scheduled for February and has already been postponed to March.

A message published on social networks by FPG announced the following: “Considering the legislative changes introduced by Decree nº 3-B / 2021, of 19 January, now clarified by Decree nº 3-C / 2021, of 22 January, which determined a limitation to the practice and training of golf by all those who are not professionals or with equivalent activity, the Portuguese Golf Federation believes should suspend the holding of competitions scheduled until February 15th. Thus, the following new dates for the competitions mentioned below are now fixed to be played at Montado Hotel & Golf Resort: 1st Tournament of the FPG Circuit – 6 and 7 March, 91st International Women’s Amateur Championship of Portugal – 12 to 15 May; 91st International Male Amateur Championship of Portugal – 18 to 21 May ».

Tee Times Golf Agency will release all the updates on dates and golf courses chosen for these and all the Portuguese Golf Tournaments promptly, as well as, will have the pleasure of organizing all Golf Packages for its participants and supporters, suggesting the best hotels and golf courses in each region.

Source: Hugo Ribeiro / Tee Times Golf (teetimes.pt) for Record

Filipe Lima prefers the Portugal Golf Masters to the Challenge Golf Tour

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Filipe Lima

Filipe Lima

Filipe Lima prefers the Portugal Golf Masters

Filipe Lima has no doubts and ensures that he will choose the Portugal Golf Masters, to be played in Vilamoura at Dom Pedro Victoria Golf Course over the South African swing of the Challenge Golf Tour.

The 39-years-old Portuguese has the prestige to play in full time on the Challenge Golf Tour in 2021, but will choose to compete in the second European division and concentrate more on the opportunities he has to play in the main European level, not feeling that way, affected for the Challenge Golf Tour decision to postpone its three tournaments in South Africa from February to April and May.

Last season, when he realized that the pandemic would damage the competitive calendar, the Portuguese golfer resident in France took the opportunity to reduce the competitions, given the promise of the European circuit organizers to freeze the categories and keep them for 2021.

Likely, Filipe Lima would only enter the Oman Open Golf in March, so if the Challenge Golf Tour kicks off in February, as planned, he could try his luck.

Filipe Lima has a special affection for the Portugal Golf Masters in Vilamoura played at the Dom Pedro Victoria Golf Course. He is the second Portuguese with the best honours in this competition. He cut four times and in 2017 tied with Ricardo Melo Gouveia in 5th place, with whom he shares this national record.

It would be a weight reinforcement to have him at the Montado Hotel & Golf Resort (1st Tournament of the FPG Circuit). Ricardo Melo Gouveia has already perfectly admitted the possibility of starting his 2021 season in Palmela and, after all, Lima and Melo Gouveia are the two players who represented Portugal at the Rio de Janeiro Olympic Games in 2016.

Tee Times Golf Agency shares the special affection for the Portugal Masters and the Dom Pedro Victoria Golf Course, having for this tournament and all the golf holidays vast suggestions of golf packages including the best hotels and golf courses in the region, highlighting the Hotels: Tivoli Marina Vilamoura, Vila Galé (Ampalius & Marina), Dom Pedro (Vilamoura & Marina) and all the other Vilamoura courses (Pinhal, Laguna, Millennium & Old course).

Source: Hugo Ribeiro / Tee Times Golf (teetimes.pt) for Record

Challenge Golf Tour postpones start of the golf season by two months

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Ricardo Melo Gouveia in Challenge Golf Tour

Ricardo Melo Gouveia, Photo: Octávio Passos

Challenge Golf Tour

Ricardo Melo Gouveia and Filipa Lima will have to choose between three golf tournaments in South Africa and the Portugal Golf Masters to be held at the Dom Pedro Victoria Golf course, in Vilamoura.

The Challenge Golf Tour announced the postponement of the start of the season in about two months, directly affecting Portuguese players such as Ricardo Melo Gouveia and Filipe Lima, who are members of the second European division, and Stephen Ferreira, who is entitled to play some of the events on this circuit via Sunshine Golf Tour.

The European Challenge Golf Tour and the Sunshine Golf Tour jointly announced the confirmation of the postponement of the three co-organized tournaments in South Africa.

For the time being, no similar measure is planned for the European Golf Tour, which has everything set to start on January 21, with the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship. It is a tournament of the Rolex Series, that is, one of the strongest of the year in the first European division, and no Portuguese should have entry. Ricardo Santos is the best placed but is currently ten places out of the list of subscribers.

The European Golf Tour follows an extremely strict health and safety plan, with all players, coaches, caddies, journalists, circuit, hotel and golf courses staff to be tested before entering the “health bubble”.

The Sunshine Golf Tour and the Challenge Golf Tour are dependent on the pandemic worldwide evolution, being postponement according to this evolution.

The two circuits should return to their activity in February. The Dimension Data Pro-Am would open the season from February 11th to 14th, followed by the Cape Town Open from February 18th to 21st and the Limpopo Championship from February 25th to 28th.

With this change of calendar, the Challenge Golf Tour will only start from 22 to 25 April safely in South Africa. The Cape Town Open will follow from 29 April to 2 May, and the Dimension Data Pro-Am, from May 6th to 9th.

Professional Ricardo Melo Gouveia from the luxury Quinta do Lago area with its greats Quinta do Lago North, South and Laranjal Golf Courses, as well as San Lorenzo & Pinheiros Altos Golf courses and the magnificent overlooking the Atlantic ocean 5 stars Hotel Quinta do Lago, has his situation regularized with the British state as a foreign resident and Brexit will not affect him.

In competitive terms, things have not been easy for Ricardo Melo Gouveia. It was scheduled to start his season on January 17th, at the Palmares Open but the Portugal Pro Golf Tour decided to cancel its entire 2020/21 season.

When the circuit returns, Ricardo Melo Gouveia will have a difficult decision to make. This redefinition of the calendar puts the Cape Town Open right on top of the Portugal Golf Masters of the European Golf Tour.

However, Ricardo Melo Gouveia has a special relationship with Portugal Golf Masters held at the Dom Pedro Victoria Golf course in Vilamoura. He has been the best Portuguese player in the most important national golf event for six years running, and in those six years, he has made two top-10 and two top-30.

Playing a tournament in South Africa, returning to Portugal, to return to the Sunshine Golf Tour in three straight weeks is an idea, but physically very exhausting.

An identical dilemma should present itself to Filipe Lima. Stephen Ferreira never received invitations to the Portugal Golf Masters, so he will surely play the three tournaments co-organized by the Challenge Golf Tour and the Sunshine Golf Tour.

Tee Times Golf Agency is attentive to all updates of all national and international tournaments and available to organize all the necessary services (golf packages with accommodation, green fees, transfers, rent-a-car, club rental and others) for players and companions, travelling alone or in groups.

Source: Hugo Ribeiro / Tee Times Golf (teetimes.pt) for Record