The DP World Tour concludes its four-event late season Iberian Swing with what promises to be an emotional and exciting 16th edition of the Portugal Masters. Here are your five things to know.
Last chance to secure Tour cards
The Portugal Masters at Dom Pedro Victoria Course is the 41st of 43 tournaments on the 2022 DP World Tour International schedule. More significantly, this week represents the final counting event for the DP World Tour Rankings in partnership with Rolex and the last opportunity for players to earn their playing rights for the following season. The top 117 players on the season-long standings will secure their cards. Among those in need of a good week is 2017 winner Lucas Bjerregaard, who for the second year running needs a strong finish in Portugal to keep his Tour card. Italian pair Francesco Laporta and Renato Paratore enter the week just below the provisional cut off for retention of DP World Tour membership at 121st and 122nd, respectively. Spaniard Sebastian Garcia Rodriguez currently occupies the magic number of 117th, with Darius van Driel on the wrong side of the cut off by one spot.
Young talents looking to shine
The 120-man field will feature some of European golf’s rising stars, all of whom are looking to make an impression with the 2023 Ryder Cup at Marco Simone Golf & Country Club fast approaching. Since the qualification process to determine Captain Luke Donald’s side began at the BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth last month, Scotland’s Robert MacIntyre returned to the winner’s circle with victory at the DS Automobiles Italian Open. Meanwhile, Dane Nicolai Højgaard, who currently stands 67th in the DP World Tour Rankings, will be aiming to claim the third Tour title of his career and second of the year as he seeks to extend his season.
Players seek to book spots at Nedbank and season finale in Dubai
Following this week’s event in Portugal there is a one-week break on the schedule before the Nedbank Golf Challenge, which celebrates its milestone 40th edition this year. The penultimate event on the DP World Tour schedule will feature a 64-player field, with 7,000 DP World Tour Ranking Points available. With the leading 50 available on the season-long rankings securing their spots at the DP World Tour Championship, Dubai there is plenty at stake for players in Portugal as several look to prolong their campaigns.
Over the years in Vilamoura
The Arnold Palmer-designed Dom Pedro Victoria Course has hosted the Portugal Masters every year since it was first held on the DP World Tour in 2007. Over the past 15 editions, there has only been one player to have won the event on multiple occasions. England’s Tom Lewis came out on top in 2011, sealing victory in his third professional start to graduate onto the DP World Tour, and in 2018 when he earned a long-awaited second success. England’s Steven Brown won his maiden Tour event here in 2019 to secure his card for the following season, while countryman Andy Sullivan and South African George Coetzee are among the former champions also in the field.
The season we had five sets of brothers play on Tour
As we celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Tour in 2022, the Portugal Masters sees the fifth set of brothers take their place in the field. Ricardo Gouveia leads the home charge in Portugal, beginning the week on the bubble of retaining his playing privileges next season at 120th in the rankings. The 31-year-old arrives with renewed confidence after finishing in the top 20 in his last two events. His younger brother Tomas joins him this week as the pair follow the Fitzpatricks, Molinaris, Højgaards and Pauls in becoming the fifth set of brothers to play in the same event on the DP World Tour this season.
