"GOLF IN PORTUGAL" - NEWSLETTER - Nº 76

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

The "LUCKY GOLFER" Prize    Each month 10 names are randomly selected from all golfers that have used our online Booking Form. From these 10 golfers a second draw is made for the winner of the prize sponsored by Hotels Le Meridien ***** in the Algarve. The monthly prize includes a standard "weekend break accommodation" with breakfast for two in the Hotel specified, together with a round of golf for two guests on the course attached to the Hotel. All of the 10 golfers of each month will be listed in our Newsletter and notified by separate e-mail that they now qualify for the annual Grand Draw. In the Grand Draw one person will be the “Lucky Golfer” and receive from our own site www.algarvegolf.net a sum of € 3.000,00. (2008 increase of € 1.000), The money can be spent in an Algarve Hotel of the winner’s choice, on green fees, car hire or, a combination. The 10 nominated golfers who are included in Year 2008 for the month of May and are entered into the "Grand Draw" at the end of December: Bill Canning - Camilla Dyson - Donald Campbell - Ingebjorg Skjemstad - Ingmar Nyheim -John Eriksson - Kin Yeung - Martin Bain - Steven Webb - Tim Shaughnessy Readers special VIP treatment (Click Here)   The May winner of the prize sponsored by "Le Meridien Dona Filipa ***** & San Lorenzo Golf Course" is: Steven Webb An e-mail notifying the winner has been sent.

General News
Sir Henry Cooper and his merry band of celebrities played alongside other contributing amateurs in their annual visit to Le Méridien Penina Golf & Resort for the Charity Golf Classic in his name and that of the later Mike Reid. A total of 23 four-player teams took part in practice rounds as well as the main 54-hole tournament over the Palmares, Boavista and Penina courses.

Martin Herdman and his 'Sony Walkman' team put up a brave defense of their title with 247 Stableford points, but ended up six behind the 2008 winners 'Agency One' comprising actor Kevin Whately, Max Morgan, Andy Parry and Hugh Bush. Comedian Paul Thornley's team, 'Return of the Red Eye' came in 2nd with 250 points, followed by the Penina team (249) captained by actor Nick Burns, and a Bill Goff team led by Graham Bradley, the jockey. The best individual celebrity score over the three rounds was carded by football coach, Brian Kidd, with 112 points, two clear of Nick Burns. Actor J.J. Field scored 109 and actor/comedian Simon Farnaby came in 4th place with a round 100. All the proceeds from the event were distributed to Sir Henry's nominated charities.

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Have you been wanting to escape to the Algarve for a few days, not wanting to leave your clubs behind? Le Méridien Hotels in the Algarve now offer special conditions to AGC Newsletter Subscribers. Book online now and benefit from a VIP TREATMENT and special rates with all the golf packages. To benefit just click on the Link above between the two Logos of their Hotels.
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The Solverde Casino and Hotel Group 2008 series of golf tournaments which had started at Oporto Golf Club in April, continued at the Palmares course, near Lagos, on 31st May and 1st June respectively.

 

On the 25th, Júlio Marcelo won the 2008 Sir Henry Cotton Trophy with 70 strokes net, but only after a tie-break as he bettered Lawrence Harris' score over the back nine holes. Nuno Faustino came in third with a tally of 72 strokes, and the gross prizes went to Jenny Rhodes (75) and Sebastian Crockall (76)

The Wolf Valley (Vale do Lobo) Charity Day took place at the end of the month and included a 4-ball better ball Stableford golf tournament, a tombola where excellent prizes were raffled. The event closed with a gala dinner-dance and auction to raise funds for charities such as an old people's home in Loulé.

Portugal's Pedro Figueiredo continues his successful career as the 16-year-old won the Irish Amateur Championship by a margin of seven strokes. After an opening round of 73 he scored 67, 70 and 68 to end 10 under par, well clear of a trio of players, Ireland's Connor Doran, Scotland's Keir McNicholl and England’s Billy Hemstock.

António Cavaco, director of the Castro Marim Course near the Algarve's border with Spain reported that the new additional nine holes there are already in play.

Portugal's first Golf Show was held in Lisbon during the month and apart from all the demonstrations of the latest golf clubs, accessories and gadgets, there were stands for many current and forthcoming golf complexes such as the Oceânico Amendoeira Resort with its two spectacular courses, the Nick Faldo and the Christy O'Connor, Jr., opening in September. Another is the Bom Sucesso complex near Óbidos, on the Costa da Prata, about an hour's drive north of Lisbon.

The big golfing occasion in June is the Portuguese Ladies Open, one of the Ladies European Tour events and most of the leading players are coming to take part in this 54-hole tournament from the 13th to 15th at the Quinta de Cima course in eastern Algarve. On the 10th of June, sixteen of the lady pros will be taking part in a pro-am organised by Barringtons at the Vale do Lobo Ocean Course to help raise funds for ACCA, a local children's charity.

The International European Senior Tour Championships for both men and ladies are being held from 19th to 21st June at the Vilamoura Oceânico Old Course (for the men) and Oceânico Pinhal Course (ladies), preceded by a practice day on the 18th.

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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. Also, interesting information on pre-golf workouts can be seen by clicking here. We would also appreciate feedback from our readers if they would like more examples.”
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International News
Sergio Garcia from Spain became the first European winner of THE PLAYERS Championship since Sandy Lyle 21 years earlier when he overcame Paul Goydos at the first extra hole, the famous 17th at TPC Sawgrass. The pair tied on 5-under-par totals of 283 after Garcia parred the 72nd hole while Goydos, in the final group, made bogey there. Garcia jumped 8 places in the Official World Golf Ranking to 10th while Goydos moved up to Nº 59. Hennie Otto from South Africa won for the first time on the European Tour as he triumphed in the Methorios Capital Italian Open at Castello di Tolcinasco G & CC in Milan. Otto won by a stroke from Oliver Wilson after a final round of 69. Otto climbed to Nº 76 a jump of 78 places. Hiroyuki Fujita from Japan won the Pine Valley Beijing Open title, an event co-sanctioned by the Asian Tour, the Japan Golf Tour and the China Golf Association. Fujita moves to World Number 108 a rise of 40 positions.

Miguel Angel Jimenez won the BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth Club, the European Tour's Flagship tournament, with a birdie on the second extra hole after tying Oliver Wilson on 11-under-par totals of 277 in the regulation 72 holes. Jimenez, who enjoyed a hole-in-one on the 5th hole, climbed 20 places to Nº 21. Wilson's compensation for just missing out on a maiden win is a 30 place jump to Nº 45 earning him a World Top 50 place and with it an exemption for both the US Open and Open Championship. World Number Two Phil Mickelson won his second PGA Tour tournament of 2008 at the Crowne Plaza Invitational at Colonial taking the title by a single stroke from Tim Clark and Rod Pampling. Mickelson narrows the gap at the top of the Official World Golf Ranking to 10.02 average points between himself and Tiger Woods. Rod Pampling's tied second place moved him up 22 places to Nº 47 and like Oliver Wilson he has earned exemptions for the US Open and Open Championship as a result. Hideto Tanihara won the Munsingwear Open KSB Cup on the Japan Golf Tour by three strokes and jumped 39 places to Nº 97. Gary Clark at the DHL Wroclaw Open in Poland on the European Challenge Tour and Russell Surber at the La Loma San Luis Potosi Open on the Canadian Tour.

Kenny Perry won the Memorial Tournament presented by Morgan Stanley for the third time in his career with a final round of 3-under-par 69 and a two-shot victory at Muirfield Village, Ohio. Perry's only bogey of the day came on the 17th as he held off the challenge of Mathew Goggin, Mike Weir, Justin Rose and Jerry Kelly, who all tied for second place. Perry jumped to Nº 27, an improvement of 46 places.

Scott Strange from Australia won the Celtic Manor Wales Open on the European Tour, played for the first time over the Twenty Ten Course that will host the Ryder Cup in 2010. He lead from the first day and his final round of 64 was the best of the day along with second placed Robert Karlsson and Francesco Molinari. Strange, a two-time winner on the Asian Tour, he climbed 83 places to Nº 81.

Prayad Marksaeng from Thailand won the Mitsubishi Diamond Cup Golf on the Japan Golf Tour by a single stroke from Shintaro Kai. He improved his World Ranking by 28 positions to 85th. Other winners were Kris Blanks at the Bank of America Open on the Nationwide Tour and Alessandro Tadini at the Oceânico Group Pro-Am Challenge on the European Challenge Tour.