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European Tour

Open de Portugal at Royal Óbidos completes three-event Iberian Swing

The Open de Portugal at Royal Óbidos will return to the European Tour schedule as a dual ranking event on September 17-20, completing a three-event “Iberian Swing” with the Estrella Damm N.A. Andalucia Masters and the Portugal Masters.

The tournament at Royal Óbidos Spa & Golf Resort in Óbidos was already confirmed as part of the European Challenge Tour’s Road to Mallorca for the third consecutive year and will now return to the European Tour for the first time since 2017. 

Strategy of regional clusters


Following the strategy of playing events on the reshaped 2020 Race to Dubai in regional clusters, the Open de Portugal at Royal Obidos follows the Estrella Damm N.A. Andalucia Masters at Real Club Valderrama in Sotogrande, Spain, on September 3-6 and the Portugal Masters at Dom Pedro Victoria Golf Course, Vilamoura, on September 10-13.

The 58th edition of the historic event will be promoted by the Portuguese Golf Federation and moves to Royal Óbidos Spa & Golf Resort – a Seve Ballesteros design – for the first time. 

First played in 1973, the tournament boasts an impressive list of winners including Sam Torrance in 1982 and 1983, Colin Montgomerie in 1989, Miguel Angel Jiménez in 2004 and Thomas Bjørn in 2010. 

Matt Wallace claimed the first of his four European Tour wins the last time the Open de Portugal was part of the Race to Dubai in 2017, while Dimitrios Papadatos and Adrian Meronk claimed their first Challenge Tour victories at the event in 2018 and 2019 respectively.

Ben Cowen, the European Tour’s Deputy Chief Operating Officer, said: “In planning the reshaped 2020 Race to Dubai, part of our measured approach has been to play, where possible, in clusters in one region or territory. 

“Adding the Open de Portugal at Royal Óbidos as a dual ranking event creates a three tournament “Iberian Swing” for players on the European Tour, and delivers further good news for Challenge Tour members as the event remains on the Road to Mallorca for a third consecutive season, with an increased prize fund of €500,000. 

One of the most interesting golf destinations in Portugal

“We are grateful to our partners at the Portuguese Golf Federation and Royal Óbidos Spa & Golf Resort for working with us to feature this event on both the Challenge Tour and European Tour.”

Miguel Franco de Sousa, President of the Portuguese Golf Federation, said: “We are very happy to secure another dual ranking Open de Portugal which moves to Royal Óbidos for the next three years. This region offers a variety of courses making it a very interesting golf destination in Portugal. We believe that Royal Óbidos, a Seve Ballesteros design, will be a good test of golf for both European and Challenge Tour players.

“This event shows our strong commitment to work closely with the European Tour in order to promote Portugal as one of the best golf destinations in the world, on one end and, on the other, to provide playing opportunities to our playing professionals, especially in this difficult season with very few tournaments being played.”

The European Tour returned this week with the Austrian Open, the first of two dual-ranking events in Austria, followed by the Euram Bank Open. The new six event UK Swing is next before the action moves to Spain and Portugal.

All tournaments in the reshaped 2020 season will be governed by the Tour’s comprehensive Health Strategy, which has been developed by Chief Medical Officer Dr Andrew Murray in consultation with health care specialists Cignpost and advisors in many of the 30 countries in which the European Tour plays.

They will also be underpinned by the European Tour’s new ‘Golf for Good’ initiative which aims to support communities where the European Tour plays, reward true heroes, such as frontline workers, and promote the many health benefits that golf offers.

(Press Release European Tour)

Categories
European Tour

European Tour: Official Statement Released Regarding Postponement of 2020 Andalucia Masters

European TOUR officials released a statement Tuesday evening regarding the postponement of the 2020 Andalucia Masters hosted by Sergio Garcia and originally set to take place April 30-May 3. The tournament is just one of many that has been postponed or cancelled amid the current Coronavirus crisis.

European Tour: Official statement released on postponement of the 2020 Andalucia Masters Tournament:

The decision was made in consultation with tournament stakeholders, the Junta de Andalucía, Real Club Valderrama, the Sergio Garcia Foundation and title sponsor Estrella Damm, in light of travel restrictions in Spain.

Discussions are ongoing with all parties looking into the possibility of rescheduling the tournament at a later date.

Javier Reviriego, the CEO of Real Club Valderrama, said: “We are deeply concerned by the current developments related to Coronavirus and we believe postponing the event is the best decision. We will work jointly with the European Tour and our sponsors to find a new date in the calendar to host this fantastic golf tournament. All of us at Valderrama look forward to hosting players and fans when we put this exceptional situation behind us.”

Keith Pelley, European Tour Chief Executive, said: “We are all taking a day-by-day approach at the moment and we continue to assess the impact of Coronavirus on all our events, but following discussions with all parties involved, it was clear that postponing the Estrella Damm N.A. Andalucia Masters hosted by the Sergio Garcia Foundation at this point is the correct course of action. Public health and well-being remains the absolute priority for all of us.”

European Tour Communications

March 17, 2020

Surrey, England