Portugal Masters: Thomas Pieters champion in Vilamoura. Here are the results of the test that distributed 1.5 million euros
Belgian golfer Thomas Pieters was today champion of the 15th edition of the Portugal Masters, European Tour tournament that took place at Dom Pedro Victoria Golf Course, in Vilamoura, while Ricardo Santos was the best Portuguese.
After leaving for the last lap tied for the lead with Frenchman Matthiew Pavon, the 29-year-old Belgian professional managed to take off from the competition and win the fifth title of his career on the European Circuit with an aggregate of 265 shots (68 + 64 + 65 +68), 19 under par and a two-shot lead over the trio who shared second place.
Among the three Portuguese players in the competition, Ricardo Santos was the best, having finished in 32nd place, with a total of 279 strokes (70 + 69 + 71 + 69), five below, while Vítor Lopes was in 61st place, one position ahead of Tomás Gouveia.
Results after the fourth round
Results after the fourth round of the 15th edition of the Portugal Masters, European Tour event that distributed 1.5 million euros in prize money and ended today at the Dom Pedro Victoria Golf Course in Vilamoura:
1. Thomas Pieters, Bel, 265 strokes (68 + 64 + 65 + 68); -19
2. Nicolai Hojgaard, Din, 267 (67 + 69 + 67 + 64); -17
. Lucas Bjerregaard, Din, 267 (67 + 65 + 69 + 66); -17
. Matthieu Pavon, Fra, 267 (68+64+65+70); – 17
5. Matthew Jordan, Ing, 271 (70+68+67+66); -13
. Nino Bertasio, Ita, 271 (61 + 69 + 74 + 67); -13
7. Francesco Laporta, Ita, 272 (70+66+69+67); -12
8. Min Woo Lee, Aus, 273 (68 + 68 + 71 + 66); -11
9. Victor Perez, Fra, 273 (72 + 68 + 6865); -11
. Adri Arnaus, Esp, 273 (65 + 67 + 73 + 68); -11
. Richard Bland, Ing, 273 (70 + 65 + 69 + 69); -11
. Kristoffer Broberg, Sue, 273 (69 + 67 + 66 +); -11
…
32. Ricardo Santos, 279 (70+69+71+69); -5
61. Vítor Lopes, 290 (71 + 69 + 76 + 74); +6
62. Tomás Gouveia, 291 (71 + 69 + 76 + 75); +7
Ricardo Santos says goodbye with good performance and confidence to Dubai
Ricardo Santos had a good performance at the close of the 15th edition of the Portugal Masters, which ended today at the Dom Pedro Victoria Golf Course, where he gained confidence to fight for maintenance on the European Tour next week, in Dubai.
On a day when the other two Portuguese in the competition, Vítor Lopes and Tomás Gouveia, were not so happy, the Algarve professional, a member of the European Circuit, staged a last productive lap and arrived with four under par to hole 18, where he placed the ball in water, no ‘approach’ to ‘green’. He made a ‘double bogey’ and ended up with 279 shots (70 + 69 + 71 + 69), five under, and in 32nd place, tied.
“It was a missed ‘shot’, unfortunately the wrong way. I wasn’t playing for the flag, maybe the alignment was wrong and my subconscious caused a bad swing. Unfortunately, it went to the most penalizing side”, he explained at the end.
In addition to being a defender who won’t be “a bad ‘shot’ staining the week”, the 39-year-old native of Faro made a positive assessment of his participation in the penultimate tournament of the season, which distributed €1.5 million in prizes and crowned Belgian Thomas Pieters champion.
“It’s a positive balance. Today I managed to ‘hang’ a lot better, the day I ‘patted’ better, although it wasn’t the day I played better from ‘tee’ to ‘green’. But the week was very positive. I get a lot of good things for next week, which is what matters”, he stressed, acknowledging, however, that he was “a little short of what I would like, but there were many good things and others that need to be improved for next week”.
Ricardo Santos, who with 32nd place rises to 160th in the ‘Race to Dubai’, will compete next week in the AVIV Dubai Championship, the last opportunity to try to maintain the same category on the European Tour next season, and part of the confident Algarve.
“It’s believing until the end. It’s the last card and we’ll bet everything on it”, stressed the Algarve, after signing today six ‘birdies’ (one below) on holes 4, 5, 8, 10, 12 and 14 and two ‘bogeys’ (one above) on the 3 and 11, beyond the ‘double-bogey’ to close.
Vítor Lopes, on the other hand, despite having improved two strokes in relation to the result of the third round, acknowledged having played “a bad game”, on a day that started “very cold and a little windy”, finishing in 61st place, with a total of 290 ‘shots’ (71 + 69 + 76 + 74).
“I tried to force things. I even cosmiced well, I had one down at the end of three holes, but then I made three putts, I accumulated a little error, I cosmiced bad shots and, when we started to push, it didn’t go well for us”, he justified, admitting that he “wanted a lot more”, because he made “a good preparation, but we have to learn, reflect” and prepare for the next year.
Tomás Gouveia, in turn, was in 62nd place, with an aggregate of 291 (71 + 69 + 76 + 75), but assured that it was “a very positive experience, having passed the ‘cut’ and having played at the end of week”.
“The weather has been much better. Less windy, but very cold in the morning, so the first few holes were a little cold, but then it was great. The game didn’t match again, especially in the ‘greens’. It was a very bad day at the ‘greens’ and that was reflected in the result”, he said, confessing that he was “very happy to have played, because that’s how you learn, to play with these players, and the learning and the great lesson remain. ”That it takes from Portugal Masters.
Thomas Pieters wins fifth career title in Vilamoura
The Belgian Thomas Pieters succeeded today the South African George Coetzee in the list of winners of the Portugal Masters, which took place at the Dom Pedro Victoria Golf Course, in Vilamoura, thus winning his fifth prize on the European Tour.
It was a day of low wind, lots of sun, temperate and strong emotions to close the last lap of the Portuguese European Circuit tournament, which started with Pieters and Frenchman Matthieu Pavon at the front, before joining the final straight. the Danish Nicolai Hojgaard.
The 20-year-old Hojgaard did, however, bogey on the last hole and Pavon needed six shots to close the Par 5 of 17, where Thomas Pieters recorded a birdie for 265 shots (68 + 64 + 65 +68), 19 below, and win with two ‘shots’ ahead of the competition.
“It feels wonderful. Looks like a lot of time has passed between victories. But Adam [Marrow, ‘caddie’] and I worked so hard, that I feel it was deserved”, commented Thomas Pieters at the end, confessing to being aware of the need to “do a ‘birdie’ in the last two holes ”to triumph.
After his last victory at the D+D Real Czech Masters in 2019, the 29-year-old Pieters claimed his fifth European Tour career title, climbing to 29th place in the ‘Race to Dubai’, and becoming the first Belgian to win the Portugal Masters, which distributed 1.5 million euros in monetary prizes and was attended by the Secretary of State for Tourism, Rita Marques, and Secretary of State for Youth and Sports, João Paulo Rebelo, at the ceremony of awards delivery.
In second place, two shots from the champion, finished the Danish Nicolai Hojgaard and Lucas Bjerregaard, who won in Vilamoura in 2017, and the Frenchman Matthieu Pavon, who was looking for the first title of his career on the European Circuit, all with 267 strokes, 13 below Par of the Algarve tracing.