Ricardo Santos is the best Portuguese after third day of the Portugal Masters
On Saturday, Ricardo Santos overcame the penultimate round of the Portugal Masters in golf, with the most complicated playing conditions, as the best Portuguese of the three, all from Algarve, in competition, in the “top-35”.
The 15th edition of the Portugal Masters, the only Portuguese golf tournament included in the European Tour, which distributes 1.5 million euros in prize money, ends this Sunday at the Dom Pedro Victoria Golf Course, in Vilamoura.
Ricardo Santos came out of the “top-50” of the standings on Saturday, but completed the third of four laps in 34th place, keeping the three strokes below the “par” of the day before, after handing over a 71-card shots, with two bogeys and two birdies.
“In the first 11 holes I couldn’t make any ‘putt’ and I had very good opportunities. It’s always good to feel the support of the Portuguese crowd when we’re playing at home. I’m satisfied with the fight to the end. Being focused until the end minimized things”, said Ricardo Santos.
Vítor Lopes and Tomás Melo Gouveia alongside
But if the 39-year-old from the Algarve is for the fifth time in his career playing in the last two rounds of the Portugal Masters, for the other Algarveans Vítor Londot Lopes (25 years old) and Tomás Melo Gouveia (27 years old), this is a debut , as it was the first time he passed the “cut” in the most important Portuguese tournament.
Interestingly, it continues with twin results in the three days of competition and they will act together tomorrow for the fourth day in a row. Today they dropped from 37th place to 57th (+3), after a third lap in 76 (+5).
The 15th Portugal Masters met on the third day new leadership, shared by the Belgian Thomas Pieters and the Frenchman Mathieu Pavon, both 29 years old.
The tournament ends this Sunday, with all players coming out of hole 1: Vítor Lopes and Tomás Melo Gouveia play together at 7:24 hours and Ricardo Santos at 9:26, alongside Spaniard Pep Anglés.
The secretaries of State for Tourism (Rita Marques) and for Sports and Youth (João Paulo Rebelo) will preside over the awards ceremony.