Preparations are moving up a gear as PGA Aroeira Lisboa gets ready to make its long-awaited return to the international sporting spotlight by hosting the 64th edition of the Open…
Preparations are moving up a gear as PGA Aroeira Lisboa gets ready to make its long-awaited return to the international sporting spotlight by hosting the 64th edition of the Open de Portugal – the country’s flagship professional tournament.
Thirty years after first being handed the honour, the 36-hole resort – the only PGA National venue in Portugal – will stage the most important event in the Portuguese Golf Federation’s annual calendar on the venue’s revered PGA Aroeira No.1 course from September 17-20.
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Created in 1953, the Open de Portugal is one of the oldest events in European golf and was part of the founding schedule of the European Tour in 1972. It remained on the main tour until 2010 and is now part of the HotelPlanner Tour, a feeder to the DP World Tour.
Australia’s Wayne Riley, now an integral member of the Sky Sports Golf team, beat off competition from a strong line-up including Paul Lawrie, Miguel Ángel Jiménez, Pádraig Harrington, Retief Goosen, Lee Westwood and Paul McGinley to win the tournament when Aroeira hosted it in 1996 before Swede Michael Jonson lifted the trophy 12 months later, defeating the likes of Darren Clarke and Spanish legends Seve Ballesteros and José María Olazábal.
Nuno Sepulveda, co-CEO at Details – Sports, Hospitality, Leisure – PGA Aroeira Lisboa’s management company, said: “PGA Aroeira is one of the most recognised golf venues in Portugal, so it’s a great moment for us to welcome the Open de Portugal back 30 years after first hosting the tournament.
The details
“The work and investment carried out at PGA Aroeira Lisboa over recent years are now starting to show results, and being chosen as the host venue for an event of this importance is something we are extremely proud of. This event is very important not only for PGA Aroeira Lisboa, but also for Portugal, helping to showcase the country, the Lisbon region and everything they offer as a golf and tourism destination.
“Golf continues to play an important role in Portugal’s tourism industry, attracting visitors from around the world, and we’re delighted to play a part in bringing this event back to PGA Aroeira.
“It is with great satisfaction that we see the Portuguese Open return to Aroeira 30 years later. PGA Aroeira Lisboa is a historic golf course, set within the magnificent pine forest of Aroeira, just a few minutes from Lisbon, offering unique conditions to once again host a tournament of this scale and international prestige.”
Pedro Nunes Pedro, president of the Portuguese Golf Federation, said: “For the Portuguese Golf Federation, the Portuguese Open plays a hugely important role not only in the international promotion of tourism and the positioning of the region as a golf destination, but also from a fundamental sporting perspective. This tournament gives young Portuguese players the opportunity to begin their careers in an international setting, alongside athletes who already hold HotelPlanner Tour cards, such as Tomás Melo Gouveia and Pedro Figueiredo.”
Delivered through a collaborative partnership between PGA Aroeira, Details, the Portuguese Golf Federation, the DP World Tour, Câmara Municipal de Almada and Lisbon Tourist Board, this year’s Open de Portugal is set to feature line-up of 156 players competing for a prize fund of around €300,000 on PGA Aroeira No.1, one of the resort’s two 18-hole championship courses.