DID YOU KNOW – MADEIRA ISLANDS OPEN – PORTUGAL - BPI
• Ricardo Santos made history when claiming his maiden European Tour title in this event in 2012. He became the first Portuguese player to win a European Tour event on home soil. Indeed, the only other player from Portugal to win a European tour event was Daniel Silva at the 1992 Jersey Open.
• Should Ricardo Santos make a successful defence of the Madeira Islands Open – Portugal – BPI, he would become the first player to achieve the feat. He is the highest ranked player in the current Race to Dubai in 24th. Along with Felipe Aguilar, they currently have amassed the most top ten finishes this season with five apiece.
• When Des Smyth won the 2001 Madeira Islands Open – Portugal - BPI he created European Tour history by becoming the oldest winner of a European Tour event, aged 48 and 34 days. He held this record for over 11 years until Miguel Angel Jiménez, who won the 2012 UBS Hong Kong Open, aged 48 years and 318 days.
• Estanislao Goya became the youngest Argentine to win on The European Tour International Schedule, when he triumphed in 2009. He was 20 years and 294 days.
• There are six past winners of the Madeira Islands Open – Portugal – BPI who won the title over the Santo da Serra course competing this week.They are: Niclas Fasth (2000), Bradley Dredge (2003), Robert-Jan Derksen (2005), Daniel Vancsik (2007), Alastair Forsyth (2008) and Ricardo Santos (2012).
• On his way to victory in 2003, Bradley Dredge shot the lowest round in the history of the tournament – a 12 under par score of 60 in the third round. He eventually won by eight shot- the largest winning margin in the event’s history.
• Madeira has been a happy hunting ground for Sweden, having recorded five victories in the event. They are: Mars Lanner (1994, 98), Jarmo Sandelin (1996), Niclas Fasth (2000) and Christopher Hanell (2004). Only the Nordea Masters, with six wins has witnessed more Swedish victories in the same European Tour tournament.
• Madeira has proved a happy hunting ground for first-time winners. Since the event began in 1993, there have been nine players claim their maiden European Tour victory here. They are: Santiago Luna (1995), Pedro Linhart (1999), Niclas Fasth (2000), Bradley Dredge (2003), Christopher Hanell (2004), Daniel Vancsik (2007), Estanislao Goya (2009), James Morrison (2010) and Ricardo Santos (2012).
