The Road to Mallorca heads to Portugal for the Open de Portugal at Royal Óbidos, the 23rd event of the 2024 season. With just six events left until the Rolex Challenge Tour Grand Final supported by the R&A, here’s everything you need to know...
Rich history
The Open de Portugal boasts a storied history in European Golf, having first been staged over 70 years ago. It became part of the European Tour schedule in 1973 and remained a fixture until 2010.
The tournament returned to the schedule in 2017 as a dual-ranked event with the Challenge Tour, taking place at Morgado Golf & Country Club, and has remained on the Road to Mallorca schedule since then with Royal Óbidos taking over as the venue in 2020.
Seve design
Situated in dunes by the Atlantic Ocean, the golf course at Royal Óbidos opened in 2012 after being designed by golfing legend Seve Ballesteros, who took advantage of the land’s natural undulation to subtly blend in the layout with its surroundings.
The 7,200-yard course demands length off the tee and with water hazards coming into play on many holes through an intricate system of lakes and streams, precision is crucial – especially on approach shots into undulating greens, many of which are surrounded by water.
Past champions
Since it’s introduction to the Challenge Tour schedule eight years ago, the Open de Portugal has amassed an impressive list of past champions that includes several winners on the DP World Tour.
2017’s dual-ranked event saw Englishman Matt Wallace triumph in his debut season on the Challenge Tour to secure playing rights on golf’s Global Tour. That victory was a sign of things to come for Wallace as he landed three more wins the following season before securing a fourth victory at last week’s Omega European Masters.
Poland’s Adrian Meronk triumphed in 2019 to help secure his promotion at the end of the season and since then has won four titles on the DP World Tour, one more than 2020 champion Garrick Higgo of South Africa.
German Marcel Schneider secured a dramatic one-stroke victory in 2021 with an eagle on the 72nd hole, a finish matched by Frenchman Pierre Pineau the following year after he came out on top in a three-way play-off, while 2023 saw England’s Marco Penge triumph en-route to winning the Road to Mallorca Rankings.
A strong field
A strong field assembles in Portugal this week, including a pair of two-time winners on the 2024 Road to Mallorca in Englishman John Parry and Spaniard Joel Moscatel. They will both be looking to follow in the footsteps of Denmark’s Rasmus Neergaard-Petersen after he won a third title of the season at last week’s Big Green Egg German Challenge powered by VcG to secure promotion to the DP World Tour.
Joining them are several DP World Tour winners, including former Portugal Masters champions Álvaro Quirós of Spain and Frenchman Alexander Levy, who triumphed on these shores in 2008 and 2014 respectively.
