Lucas Bjerregaard will return to the scene of his maiden European Tour victory when he defends his Portugal Masters title at Dom Pedro Victoria Golf Course on September 20-23, 2018.
The Dane produced one of the best performances of his career to claim the title in Vilamoura last season, and he is now aiming to become the first player to successfully defend the Portugal Masters.
Bjerregaard was battling to retain his European Tour card when he arrived in Portugal last year, but the big-hitting 27 year old found form at the perfect time as he opened up a one shot lead at the end of the third round.
He had held a 54-hole lead on two previous occasions, ultimately finishing in second place at the 2015 UBS Hong Kong Open and tied third at the 2016 Volvo China Open, but this time he never looked back, firing eight birdies in a magnificent closing round of 65 to finish at 20 under par and four shots clear of Scotland’s Marc Warren.
Bjerregaard has followed up his first win with a further five top ten finishes this season, including tied third at the BMW PGA Championship – his best-ever result at a Rolex Series event.
Bjerregaard said: “The Portugal Masters is certainly a special event for me now and I can’t wait to defend my title. The final round last year is up there amongst my best rounds. Some of the shots I hit under pressure were the best I had hit in a long time and I really enjoyed going out there and closing out the 54-hole lead to get my hands on the trophy after being in that position a few times before.
“I’ve continued to put together some good results again this season, and it would be fantastic to do the same at Dom Pedro Victoria once again.”
The Portugal Masters has been a fixture on the European Tour since 2007, and past winners include Irish Major winner Padraig Harrington, 21-time European Tour winner Lee Westwood of England and his countryman and former Ryder Cup team mate Andy Sullivan.
The tournament returns for the 12th consecutive year to the Arnold Palmer-designed Dom Pedro Victoria Golf Course in the golfing mecca of Vilamoura in the south of Portugal.
Tickets for the 2018 Portugal Masters are on sale until Sunday September 16 at special pre-event rates, before reverting to gate prices. For more information and to buy tickets, including hospitality packages, visiteuropeantour.com/tickets
