Golfing in Algarve – XXX Grande Troféu de Vilamoura

Grande Troféu de Vilamoura Winners

Winners

If you want to play golf in the sun, just a few days before Christmas, in a competitive and relaxed atmosphere, in luxurious courses and in a format that allows any player to shine, from a 30 handicap to an elite golfer, the answer can only be one – The Grande Troféu de Vilamoura, in Portugal.

In December 2017, from the 6th to the 9th, in the Algarve, the 30th edition of this historic competition was held for amateurs of all ages and levels of play, and for the second consecutive year, it was sold out.

Jorge Aires, a former vice-president of the Portuguese Tennis Federation, for many years now converted to golf, used to get in the car every year, leave Porto, drive some 600 kilometers and play the event. This time he stayed at home. “When I wanted to sign up I was already sold out,” he regreted.

Grande Troféu de Vilamoura Winner

John Kokolay – Winner

Luís Correia da Silva, the CEO of Dom Pedro Golf, owner of the five Vilamoura golf courses, in his closing speech at the awards ceremony, held at the Hilton Vilamoura As Cascatas Golf Resort & Spa, said: “If you want to play the next year, you’d better decide early and sign in on time”.

The XXX Grande Troféu de Vilamoura attracted 280 players from 15 countries, divided by four categories of handicaps and distributed in three of the five Dom Pedro Golf courses in Vilamoura: the Victoria Golf Course, home of the famous Portugal Masters of the European Tour; the Pinhal Golf Course, which has already hosted the PGA National Championship of Portugal; and the Old Course, for many amateurs, the most charismatic and beautiful course of Vilamoura.

Grande Troféu de Vilamoura Winner

John Kokolay – Winner

Players praise every year the quality of the courses and even in drought years as happened in Portugal in 2017, tees, fairways and greens are immaculate.

“We have our own water for irrigation, so we could better combat this year’s drought, but it is also true that the rain that fell a few days before the tournament started made the courses appear even more beautiful,” Romeo Gonçalves explained. He is former player of the national team of the Portuguese Golf Federation, and now, for some years, he is the director of Dom Pedro Victoria Golf Course.

If we play on dream golf courses, the hotels are not far behind. Players stay in some of the best hotels in the Algarve, such as Anantara Vilamoura Algarve Resort, Tivoli Marina Vilamoura Algarve Resort, Hilton, Vila Galé group and, of course, Dom Pedro hotels.

The sun shines almost every day and every year, and, in addition to the tournament, there are several social activities, from the welcome cocktail to a fashion passerelle, with the highlight of the Vilamoura Casino gala, which includes dinner and a cabaret show. Everything ends later in a cocktail, during which several dozen awards are delivered.

Grande Troféu de Vilamoura Staff

Staff

The Englishman John Kokolay, 65 years-old, with a handicap of 14.5, was crowned the 2017 champion, by winning the net general standings. He is a regular of the tournament:

“It was my fourth time here. I came here to have fun, play, sunbathe, because for me Portugal has the best sun and the best people, and this year I brought with me ten more people, which turns out to be a good deal for Portugal. Maybe next year, now that I’m the champion, I’ll bring some 50 people with me. This tournament is good for your tourism. I have met new players, I have made more friends, I like to know where they come from, what they do for a living, and this friendly ambiance is the most important thing.”

It was a surprising win because he had broken three fingers of his left hand shortly before the tournament, forcing him to even change some swing and putt technique in the Algarve:

“I’m shocked, delighted and I feel so many emotions … I’m a civil engineer and I ijured three fingers four weeks ago. I had to play here with different gloves and I opted for a baseball and not golf grip, but maybe it’s a good idea for the future to keep this new technique.

Grande Troféu de Vilamoura Socializing

Socializing

If John Kokolay was the tournament champion, the best player, that is, the overall gross winner, was Gonçalo Teodoro, the national Under-16 champion, who a week later was making his debut in the main national team of the Portuguese Federation of Golf, in the Manuel Agrellos Cup, to face the selection of the PGA of Portugal.

With a handicap of 0.1, it is natural that his goals are quite different:

“I like this tournament not only because we play in several courses of Vilamoura, but also because of the excellent organization and conviviality that it has with that dinner in the Vilamoura casino. I came to the tournament with the goal of winning, I won and it gave me a loto f joy to know that some of the best Portuguese amateurs ever had already won it before, and also that there are always about 300 or more amateurs in this tournament ».

Grande Troféu de Vilamoura Fashion Show

Fashion Show

The success of the Vilamoura Great Trophy led Dom Pedro Golf to seek to replicate the formula at other times of the year, responding with more supply to the demand manifested by several markets.

For instance, this January, from the 13th to the 20th, the 20th Dom Pedro International Golf Classic will take place with five rounds of golf on the Dom Pedro Golf Collection: Dom Pedro Victoria Golf Course, Dom Pedro Old Course Golf Club, Dom Pedro Millennium Golf Course, Dom Pedro Pinhal Golf Course and Dom Pedro Laguna Golf Course.

In Vilamoura, you can breath golf all year round.

Hugo Ribeiro

Golf Writer of the daily “Record” newspaper

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

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 VilamouraAlgarve, 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.