"GOLF IN PORTUGAL" - NEWSLETTER - Nº 75

Welcome to the April 2008 edition of the monthly "Golf in Portugal" Newsletter.

General
Your editor was away for most of the month on an excursion to play several courses in the Carnoustie area in Angus, Scotland, with fellow members of the European Golf & Travel Media Association.
 

After becoming personally re-acquainted with the Monifieth and Montrose courses - hunting grounds of my youth - the round at Letham Grange was unfortunately cancelled due to snow but the intrepid group of golf scribes went on to play Burnside, one of the Carnoustie layouts, where the weather was much better. For the final round, we enjoyed tackling the Championship course and tough venue of last year's Open memorably won by Padraig Harrington. Some of the hardy visitors - having endured the wonderful courses, enjoyable meals, hospitality and Tartan Week entertainment - still had the legs for a final round at the Panmure links course on the last day of the trip.

The region offers a wonderful eclectic mixture of links and inland courses, and special green-fee rates are available for play on the three Carnoustie courses. A stay at the hotel overlooking the 1st tee and historical 18th green where the 1999 and 2007 Open were decided, should not be missed.

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“We came across a short video designed for helping golfers improve in a targeted manner their general fitness for the game of golf.

It has been made by Rick Miller who is a top Fitness Guru in our world of golf. His video can be viewed by visiting: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FiBt-6c4NKk and we believe its worth watching. We would also appreciate feedback from our readers if they would like more examples.”
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Algarve News
 

Meanwhile, here in the Algarve, to coincide with the recent launch of Pine Hills Residences, a complex being built at Vila Sol, the developers held a team event at this well-known popular golf venue and host to the Portuguese Open back in 1992 and 1993. The winning team comprising Ivan Taylor, David Cummings and Stephen Clare scored 90 Stableford points, and Alex Storm, partnered by Tony and Yvonne Gilbert-Harris, edged out the team of Tony Scott, Lenny McGeoch and Amy Bray after a count-back as both had tied with 85 points.

The Portuguese Golf Federation announced during the month that the 2011 European Amateur Men's Team Championship is to be staged at the Oceânico Victoria course in Vilamoura. This is the flagship event organised by EGA, the European Golf Association, and is played by teams of six golfers, with the top 20 countries qualifying for the championship. Until recently, the event was played every second year, but as from 2008, when Ireland will defend the title in Turin, it will take place annually and in 2009 and 2010, the host countries will be Wales and Switzerland respectively. The only other time that this championship was played in Portugal was back in 1973 at Penina.

Sir Henry Cooper together with his celebrity friends and other participants are back to western Algarve in May for the annual Sir Henry Cooper & Mike Reid Charity Golf Classic which this year celebrates its 10th anniversary. Mike Reid’s name will continue in the tournament name in spite of his sudden death last year.
The first round of the main event is played at Palmares on 12th May, then play continues at the Boavista course on the 15th May, and culminates at Penina the following day. Many familiar faces will be playing: Johnny Briggs, John Virgo, Willie Thorne, Brian Kidd, Dave Jessup and Alan Wells together with the 2007 winner, actor Martin Herdman. This well supported event is a real fun occasion and raises funds for various charities.

The popular Vale do Lobo Foursomes Week, now in its 26th year, takes place from 18th-24th May at the resort's Ocean and Royal courses. After initial qualifying rounds the tournament switches to the match-play format to decide the winners. Also, on the last Sunday in May, the Le Méridien Penina holds the 19th edition of the prestigious Sir Henry Cotton Trophy, an 18-hole medal-play tournament.

International News
Johnson Wagner picked up his first PGA Tour victory at the Shell Houston Open with a final round of 71 to finish at 16 under par, two strokes ahead of Chad Campbell and Geoff Ogilvy. With the win Wagner earned a place at the Masters Tournament and climbed 189 positions to World Number 124. Second placed Ogilvy moved up to Nº 5 and World Numbers 7 to 10, Furyk, Scott, Rose and Singh are remarkably now separated by just 0.02 average points.

Gregory Bourdy won his second European Tour title within six months as he secured the Estoril Open de Portugal at the third extra hole of a play-off with David Howell and Alistair Forsyth after the trio had tied on 18-under-par totals of 266. Bourdy had the lead from day one but his overnight four-stroke lead had gone after his front nine. He fought bravely for a four-under-par back nine to join Howell, who shot a best of day 64 and Forsyth, who birdied the last two holes, in the play-off. Bourdy entered into the
World Top 100 with a jump of 69 places to Nº 97.

Trevor Immelman from South Africa won the Masters Tournament at Augusta National having led since round one. On a final day with blustery winds averaging 20 miles per hour Immelman shot a final round of 3-over-par 75 for a three stroke victory over Tiger Woods. Immelman become only the second
South African Masters Champion and his victory coming on the 30th anniversary of Gary Player’s third Green Jacket win. The 28-year-old 2008 Masters Champion climbed 14 places to Nº 15.

Will Besseling of The Netherlands claimed a spectacular seven shot victory in the II Club Colombia Masters. Besseling closed with a 66 for a 16-under-par total of 268 with Denmark's Mark Haastrup second on 275.

Boo Weekley completed a successful defence of his Verizon Heritage title at Hilton Head Island in South Carolina after a level par final round of 72 gave him a three stroke victory over joint runners-up Aaron Baddeley, the 2006 winner of this event, and Anthony Kim. Jim Furyk finished in fourth place. Weekley climbed 24 positions to a career high Nº 23. Kim entered into the World Top 50 in 39th place.

Ireland’s Damien McGrane defied the incessant downpour to claim his maiden European Tour title with a convincing nine stroke victory in the Volvo China Open at Beijing CBD International Golf Club, a tournament co-sanctioned with the Asian Tour. This win took McGrane to Nº 148, an improvement of 73 positions.

The Opening tournament on the 2008 Japan Golf Tour was won by Katsumasa Miyamoto who shot 66, the best round on the final day, for a single stroke victory over Taichi Teshima at the Token Homemate Cup. Miyamoto jumped 67 spots up to Nº 149.

Robert Damron won the Athens Regional Foundation Classic on the Nationwide Tour, overcoming England's Greg Owen at the first extra hole. The win propelled Damron 303 positions up the Official World Golf Ranking to 296th.

Anthony Kim of the United States shot a final round of 69 to secure a five stroke victory over 2003 Open Champion Ben Curtis at the Wachovia Championship at Quail Hollow CC. The 22 year-old picks up his first PGA Tour win in just his 41st qualifying OWGR Tournament and took a jump of 21 positions in the Official World Golf Ranking to 16th.

Peter Lawrie made it a hat-trick of Irish victories in three consecutive weeks on the European Tour after victory at the second extra hole over Ignacio Garrido in the Open de España at Real Club de Golf de Sevilla. Lawrie climbed 87 places to Nº156.

On the Japan Tour it also took a Play-Off to separate Tomohiro Kondo and Hiroyuki Fujita with Kondo prevailing in extra time after both players had shot 3-under-par rounds to finish on a 9-under-par total of 271. Kondo moved up to Nº 109, an improvement of 43 spots.

The other winner was another Irish win for Michael Hoey at the Banque Populaire Morroccan
Classic on the European Challenge Tour.

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Thanks for your support and send comments to: editor@portugal-info.net – The Editor