Golf in Vilamoura

Portugal Golf Inter Clubs Championship

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Vilamoura golf club refuses any favoritisms

Inter Clubs Championship - Golf Club Vilamoura

Inter Clubs Championship – Golf Club Vilamoura

Oporto Golf Club is defending its title, but, at least in theory, Club Golf Vilamoura is the strongest team in the masculine competition from the Club’s National Championship – Solverde, which gives away the Visconde Pereira Machado Cup. The competition is counting on 13 teams and happens between Thursday and Sunday at the Vidago Palace Golf Course.

Besides its history, Vilamoura has the lowest handicap set – it is the only team whose hcps goes down to a plus, with a sum of +4,7 among its six players. It also counts on the national champions (Tomás Melo Gouveia), as well as with sub-16’s (Gonçalo Teodoro), sub-14’s (Francisco Matos Coelho). Portuguese ex number 1 Vítor Lopes and also an expert, Nathan Brader will also attend. Number six on the team is Calvin Holmes. Although he is very young, he managed to shine in 2015, as well as Teodoro, on the fourth consecutive winning of the Vilamoura team from Algarve, matching C. Golf Estoril’s record of 16 titles.

Last year at Montado Hotel & Golf Resort, Vilamoura Golf Club, missed what would’ve been the first fifth championship in the competition and the record of 17 wins. The team was eliminated in the semi-finals by Miramar Golf Club – which actually lost then with Oporto Golf Club.

Oporto Golf is now looking to obtain its second victory in a row, eighth in its history. Miramar Golf Club, whose last victory goes way back to 1994, managed the vice-championship title in 2014 and 2016, is the second strongest team.

A little note about Lisbon Sports Club second-time winner for midi-amateurs (over 30 years old). Without its best player, José Maria Cazal-Ribeiro, the team has yet some important names such as Luís Costa Macedo, Gonçalo Costa or Tiago Tavares, among others.

Apart from these four teams, C.Golf Vidago Palace, C.Golf Santo da Serra, C.Golf Ilha Terceira, Quinta do Peru, Juve Golfe, Bom Sucesso, Oeiras and Estoril are also part of Portugal Golf Inter Clubss competition.

The competition has a stroke play round and, after that, match play. The first eight teams are placed on the 1sr Flight, and the remaining ones on the 2nd Flight.

The feminine golf competition has only three team competing: two from Miramar and another one from Santo da Serra. Miramar is trying hardly to win for the fourth time in a row.

Vilamoura hosting Portugal Masters with a profusion of Word-Class Golf players

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Portugal Masters 2017

Portugal Masters 2017

The Portugal Masters, a European Tour golf tournament is set to begin in Vilamoura from 21st to 24th of September, 2017. A large group of Europe’s leading golfers has affirmed their interest in this great tournament which will happen in Victoria Golf Course.

Vilamoura is a resort in the Algarve region of southern Portugal. It’s known for its large marina, top quality golf courses, is casino, and for many sandy beachs.

Padraig Harrington – three-time Major Champion will return to Vilamoura and Victoria Golf Course, to safeguard his title alongside Andy Sullivan who took the title in 2015. On the other hand, Shown Lowry is coming back to the scene of his first European Tour as a professional.

Danny Willett, 2016 Masters Tournament Champion, will be also in Vilamoura, onboarding additional Major-winning expertise to the Victoria Golf Course, Portugal Masters occasion. He is joined by two energizing youthful gifts, Matt Fitzpatrick and Thomas Pieters – both multiple European Tour winners who won the 2016 Ryder Cup as team mates.

In a statement, Harrington expressed his delight in returning to Vilamoura for the Portugal Masters to defend his title. Harrington’s storied profession incorporates triumphs at The Open Championship in 2007 and 2008, the US PGA Title around the same time and six Ryder Cups appearances. The Irishman took the 2016 Portugal Masters on the Victoria Golf Course in noteworthy form, fixing his first European Visit title in eight years.

Vilamoura Victoria Golf Course

Vilamoura Victoria Golf Course

“Last year’s win was exceptionally fulfilling, and I was satisfied to add the title to my rundown of competition triumphs. I felt relaxed all week and awesome around the greens. It’s an occasion I’m particularly anticipating,” said Harrington, who has triumphed 15 times on the European Tour.

Lowry burst on to the scene in 2009, when he won the Irish Open as a novice, and his triumph in Vilamoura at Victoria Golf Course three years after secured his place in history as just the second player to win European Tour titles as both an amateur and a professional. He secured the greatest win of his career in 2015 at the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational.

He further stated: “This will dependably be a unique occasion for me. I was over the moon to get my first professional win on such a lofty occasion, and I’m anticipating returning to Vilamoura this year.”

Sullivan stated: “I have some remarkable recollections of this occasion in Algarve, especially from 2015. To win any trophy is phenomenal yet to take a title in Europe, before such a significant number of loved ones, was something exceptional. I can hardly wait for the comeback in September.”

On the other hand, Sullivan is anticipating his 6th appearance in Victoria Golf Course at a competition where he has delighted in huge accomplishment as of late. The Englishman seized the title in 2015 – his third win of the season following the South African Open and the Joburg Open – before completing second behind a resurgent Harrington a year ago.

Willett also will be returning to Vilamoura for the Portugal Masters for the first time since 2014. He is the first English player since Sir Nick Faldo to won the Green Jacket when he triumphed at Augusta National last year.

The five-time European Tour victor has an incredible record in the competition, with three best ten completes in five appearances. “It’s been a couple of years since I’ve teed it up in Vilamoura and I’m anticipating it. It is a place where I’ve played well over the years, and so I’m hoping for a good week,” he stated.

In the interim, his comrade Fitzpatrick is making his Portugal Masters debut. The 22-year-old appreciated a stellar 2016 battle, adding more triumphs at the Nordea Masters and the season-ending DP World Tour Championship, Dubai to his maiden title at the 2015 British Masters. He additionally joined fellow Ryder Cup debutants Pieters, Sullivan, and Willet at Hazeltine a year ago.

Fitzpatrick further expressed his delight: “I’m eager to be playing at the Portugal Masters in Vilamoura for the first time. It’s a competition that I’ve heard a lot about, and I’m anticipating an awesome week in Portugal.”

Pieters, a Belgian and a three-time European Tour winner, has been at the peak of his form this season, with three best ten completes on the European Tour – including fourth place at the Masters.

Pieters put a record at Hazeltine when he became the first European Ryder Cup rookie to scoop four points after playing every match.

Padriag Harrington - Winner 2016

Padriag Harrington – Winner 2016

“This will be the fourth year in succession for me in Vilamoura – Algarve, and it’s a place that I appreciate returning to. I’m pleased to be teeing it up at Dom Pedro Victoria Golf Course once more,” he stated.

Dom Pedro Golf offers five championship golf courses in the Algarve, Vilamoura´s renowned five – Victoria Golf Course (host of the World Cup in 2005 and Portugal Masters since 2007), The Old Course Golf Club, Pinhal Golf Course, Laguna Golf Course and Millennium Golf Course.

Tickets for the upcoming 2017 Portugal Masters, including hospitality bundles and packages, are accessible at europeantour.com/tickets.

Golf in Portugal and Portuguese Golfers, at European level

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Vitor Lopes

Vitor Lopes

Vilamoura golf club, Miramar, and Oporto golf club, at 30th European Amateur Championship.

Vilamoura golf club player, Vitor Lopes, hcp +2

Miramar Golf Club player, Peter Lencart, hcp +1.8

Oporto golf club player, João Girão, hcp +1.6

A year after he won The Junior Open Championship, the most accredited European amateur tournament for under-16, Pedro Lencart played for the first time the prestigious Individual men’s European Amateur and showed that, at 17 years, is ready to compete with the best.

Among 144 players of the European elite, national amateur champion, not only passed the cut at the end of the third day – something only achieved by 64 players – as still took the luxury of complete the race in the top-40, after having included the top-20 at the end of the second of four rounds of competition.

Pedro Lencart was 39th (tied), 283 shots, 5 under Par after rounds of 71, 68, 73 and 71. In the difficult golf course of the Walton Heath Golf Club in England, which has played host to a Ryder Cup and for 12 consecutive years welcomes European qualifications of the US Open, the Portugal national team player stamped three rounds under Par in four possible.

«It was a positive week for me and I felt good on the golf Course. The first two days were very important for me because I was able to get in a good position inside the cut. It is always important to pass the cut, however, I feel that I could do better ‘, said the Press Office of the FPG, after a last round, where he scored 1 eagle, 2 birdies and 3 bogeys.

«The golf course is considered one of the best in England, has tight fairways and tough roughs, making the tee shots fundamental to make a good result», he added.

The other two Portuguese who went to England, Vítor Lopes, from Vilamoura golf club and João Girão from Oporto golf club, played for the third consecutive season the European Amateur Championship, but hasn’t been this time yet which they passed the cut, but Vitor Lopes had a third round of high level, scoring (-5) 67 shots.

Their results were as follows:

Vítor Lopes: 217 (74 + 76 + 67), +1;

John Girão: 223 (77 + 75 + 71), +7.

Nelson Ribeiro, national selector who accompanied the players to the European Championship made a brief analysis to the national provision:

«Victor Lopes, in 54 holes played, made 3 putts on 13 greens, and 4 putted 1 green. John Girão, in 54 holes he played, only made 19 fairways in regulation at 45 possible. Pedro Lencart, despite being the only one to pass the cut in 72 holes he played, made 3 putts in 5 greens. In such a competitve enviroment as the European Championship, does consecutive errors have a high price when you want to have a good rank. Players were able to identify a pattern of error in their game, what defines a way to guide the practice of assertively».

The 30th edition of the European Amateur Championship was won by Englishman Alfie Plant (72 + 68 + 66+67), who tied with the Italians Lorenzo Scalise (64 + 65 + 69 + 75) and Luca Cianchetti (70 + 67 + 67 + 69), last year’s champion, with 273 shots, 15 under Par. In the play-off, Cianchetti was eliminated on the first hole and the second Plant, the 64th-ranked amateur in the world rankings, made 1 birdie to beat Scalise and crowned European amateur champion.