Then...
As is invariably the case, by the time this report is published, anyone who’s interested in following the events of the European Tour Calendar will know that Dimitrios Papadatos (Magenta Shores GC. - Australia) was the eventual outright winner of the 2018 56º Portugal Open.
There was much anticipation that Portugal’s José-Filipe Lima might – during the last few holes – snatch the Trophy, but it was, sadly, not to be...
And now, all that subsequently remains as evidence that the competition actually took place at Morgado Golf Resort in Portugal’s Algarve is probably only evidenced by trampled grass!
First played in 1953, by 1973 The Portugal Open joined the ranks of the European Tour International Schedule when it was played at The Penina, in Algarve - a poignant reminder of the recent death of John Stilwell – ‘The man whose life gave life to golf in the Algarve’.
The Challenge Tour Events are very much seen as providing a spring board for talented, emerging players. With the appropriate motto: “Where heroes are made”. Winner last year, Matt Wallace, knows only too well what that implies. The title in Algarve earned him immediate access to the European Tour – catapulting him from ‘stranger to star’, rating 91st in the world top 100 rankings and 17th in the European Tour’s Race to Dubai.
For Dimitrios Papadatos this year’s Winner’s cheque of 32,000 Euros now places him 9th in the Race to the Ras Al Khaimah European Challenge Tour Grand Final after just the one event!
Executive Director for the European Challenge Tour, Alain de Soultrait records: “7 different Players who competed in the Challenge Tour later won 8 Grand Slam Tournaments. 27 were later selected for the Ryder Cup – 1 American and 26 Europeans.
Great, world-class players such as Sam Torrance, Colin Montgomerie, Fredrik Jacobsen, Carl Pettersson, Miguel Angel Jiménez and Thomas Bjorn have all taken part in the Tournament, which, this year, included an impressive 13 Portuguese players among the impressively international field representing 23 countries, with a prize purse of 200,000 Euros.
The ‘dual ranking’ format counts simultaneously for the European Tour ranking ‘Race to Dubai ‘ (European Tour Ranking) and ‘Road to Oman’ (Challenge Tour Ranking), while assigning points for the World Rankings and European rankings for the Ryder Cup.
For this Season, the 56º Edition of the Portugal Open includes the ‘Iberian Swing’, alongside Challenge de España and Andalucia Costa del Sol Match Play 9.
Bringing The Portugal Open back last year represented a huge leap of faith by not only the European Tour, but also the Portuguese Golf Federation, PGA of Portugal and Nau Hotels & Resorts, together with the State Department for Youth & Sport and Portuguese Tourism Board. 2017 marked a return after a 7 year absence, significantly bringing back with it a very impressive list of promoters and sponsors.
The Prize Giving Ceremony was attended by President of the Portuguese Golf Federation – Miguel Franco de Sousa;, CEO Nau Hotels & Resorts – Mário Azevedo Ferreira; President PGA Portugal - José Correia; Portuguese Institute of Sport and Youth – Lidia Praca; Louis Silva; Mayoress of Portimão – Isilde Gomes; Gary Butler, Tour Director, European ChallengeTour.
Much emphasis was placed on the excellent facility provided to the Players by the course at Morgado – a great test of the game, presented in a fabulous condition. Something, due in no small part to those ‘behind the scenes’ – and including both hotel and restaurant personnel, together with the ground staff and maintenance team, headed up by course Director, Jorge Papa and without whom none of this would have been the same!
And NAU...!
Nau Hotels, Apartments and Resorts form part of a relatively newly-created chain represented in Portugal from the Douro in the north, via the capital, Lisbon, on southwards via the Alentejo to Algarve. This is a brand creating a substantial market impact within an important tourist industry which, over many, many years has proven essential to that Region’s economy.
The European Challenge Tour Event inevitably provides a valuable opportunity to showcase the Group’s Algarve golf Courses at Morgado de Reguengo, which offers 2 x 18 hole courses Morgado and Àlamos.
Inland from Portimão, nestling at the foot of the Monchique hills, Nau’s Morgado Golf & Country Club also incorporates a 98 room Hotel, together with rooms adjacent to the Clubhouse, thoughtfully constructed to merge into the surrounding countryside. An exceptional location in which to stay, chill out, eat, sleep and play golf!
Formerly a huge, private, family-owned Estate of approximately 980 hectares, much of the land remains dedicated to growing vines and citrus while, according to Nau CEO Mário Azevedo Ferreira ‘still very much in the development stages of a future series of ambitious projects’.
Herdade do Reguengo also incorporates Ribeiro dos Álamos, after which the second course is named. Both courses are European Golf Design layouts, sharing many of the same characteristics – rolling terrain, interspersed with lakes and streams and outstanding views on all sides. Great tests of golf in all its aspects.
Approximately ½ hour’s comfortable drive away (via the A22 M-way), Salgados Golf Course completes the NAU picture.
Built on an area of wetlands, some 6 kms west of Albufeira, (and which at the time (1992) attracted some very derisive comments!), Salgados has become one of Algarve’s most popular courses outside the self-styled ‘Golden Triangle’ (Qta. Do Lago) and is certainly one of the best maintained.
Effectively below sea-level, everyday maintenance brings with it its own particular set of headaches, but offers the player the unique opportunity to play a course which is completely different to anything else existing in Algarve. There is an overwhelming sensation of s p a c e, not to mention that for anyone interested in nature, one is, effectively, playing within a protected Natural Wildlife Reserve. So much for those early sceptics!
The Resort comprises an impressive series of 4* and 5* Hotels and Apartments adjacent to the golf course, beach and seafront, incorporating all those elements presently regarded as essential for the holidaymaker – indoor and outdoor heated and non-heated swimming pools, Spas, restaurants…an absolutely sensational location for anyone seeking top quality holiday facilities. And golf!
The European Challenge Tour returns to Morgado in 2019, when Portimão has been selected by the European Capitals and Cities of Sport Federation as European City of Sport.
ENDS
TEXT: Sue Farmer – IGTWA/IAGTO - PHOTOS: Geoffrey Farmer - IAGTO
Picture Captions
1: Trophy presentation by Miguel Franco de Sousa, President FPG.
2: from L to R - Gary Butler (European Challenge Tour Director), Dimitrios Papadatos (Winner-56º Portugal Open), Mário Azevedo Ferreira (CEO Nau Hotels & Resorts)
3-4: Morgad Golf & Country Club
5-6: Salgados course and Palace Hotel