Fri, 1st Dec 2006 The 28th annual Open run by Portuguese Airline TAP, attracted 250 amateur golfers which including 70 ladies from 14 countries. Many were Portuguese expatriates who took this opportunity to visit their country of origin. One of such was this year's winner Virgílio Carolino, a resident in Brazil for 47 years. A member of Guaruja Golf Club near Santos, Carolino carded a 72-hole net score of 278 over the Penina, Palmares, Gramacho and Vale da Pinta courses. This placed him eight strokes clear of 2nd placed Rui Alves. The ladies' prize went to former basketball player Ligia Santos from Portugal, after a count back from Rolanda Witmann from Austria as both having tied on 315 net. Rolanda is the wife of rally driver Franz Witmann, a 12-time champion in his home country and once winner of the New Zealand rally, as well as being current chairman of the Austrian Golf Federation. Apart from the overall net prizes, others prizes were awarded for the leading net and gross scores in several handicap divisions. |
Fri, 1st Dec 2006 The Algarve Tourist Association has offered to host the International Golf Travel Market in 2008. This event was last held in the Algarve in 1999 at Vilamoura, when the region was nominated the best established golf destination by IAGTO (International Golf Travel Agent Association). This award given to the Algarve again in 2005. The IGTM board is at present analyzing the various 2008 venue applications and the result will be published in the near future. |
Alamos Fri, 1st Dec 2006 Lady Joan Bader was back in the Algarve again this November to officiate at the grand final of 'The Bader Cup'. This annual mixed-greensomes Stableford event involves 12 regional finals that are played throughout the UK and has now been staged for some 20 years. This year's grand final took place at the recently opened Alamos course with its cunningly contoured greens and a variety of interesting holes in the beautiful rural setting north of Portimao. On the day it was 8-handicapper Simon Smith and his school teacher wife Jill, members of the Rye Hill Golf Club, who produced the best rounds by carding a total of 43 points to receive the coveted cup from Lady Bader. She being the widow of the famed World War ace pilot Douglas Bader, and President of the Foundation set up in his name shortly after he passed away in 1982. Three points behind the winners were Anthony Thompson and Linda Farrington (Fishwick Hall), followed by Steven Frazer and Elizabeth Morgan (Callander) with 39 pts. The 'Douglas Bader Foundation' is a charitable institution that aids the disabled, and the many golfers have collectively raised over £300,000 during the years for its worthy cause. |
Vale da Pinta Fri, 1st Dec 2006 There was an exciting conclusion to the PGA European Seniors Tour qualifying school staged at the Vale da Pinta course in the Carvoeiro area. All the usual sudden death play-offs for the top six full cards and 11 provisional cards for the 2007 Seniors Tour season created a sense of keen competition. However, two players created a stir when Spain's excitable Emílio Rodriguez and the much calmer David Merriman from Australia, tied on 9 under par and fought out a sudden death decider for the £3,500 (€5,168) winner's cheque. It was the Australian club pro from Sydney who triumphed at the 2nd play-off hole, a par-5 fourth hole, calmly sinking a 14-foot birdie putt after Rodriguez failed to reach the green in three following a wayward fairway wood 2nd shot ended up blocked out in the right-hand rough. David Merriman had previously said: 'As a golf pro you want to play competitive golf, so I thought I would come over to Europe and give it a crack'. Winning the event was the icing on the cake for him. |
Fri, 1st Dec 2006 WGC - Barbados World Cup The Sandy Lane - Barbados - 7th to 10 December, 2006 A playoff between the teams from Germany and Scotland gave the final victory to Germany. |
Fri, 1st Dec 2006 Carl Pettersson from Sweden won the Memorial Tournament at Muirfield Village Golf Club, Ohio with a final round of 71 for a two stroke victory over Zach Johnson and Brett Wetterich. Carl Pettersson's second PGA Tour win moved him up 22 places in the Official World Golf Ranking to Nº 29. Robert Karlsson, also from Sweden, won the Celtic Manor Wales Open by 3 strokes from Paul Broadhurst. Robert Karlsson's sixth European Tour win in nearly four years meant he climbed 61 places to Nº 94. Vijay Singh won the Barclays Classic at Westchester Country Club on the PGA Tour with a bogey free final round of 68 and climbed one place to Nº 3 position. Vijay Singh won by 2 strokes from Adam Scott whose eagle on the last hole for second place alone was enough to take him to World Nº 6 - an improvement of 2 places. Markus Brier, who had previously won twice on the European Challenge Tour in his home country of Austria, secured his first European Tour win by any Austrian player at the BA CA Golf Open Presented by Telekom Austria. He won by 3 strokes from Soren Hansen and jumped to Nº 193 - an improvement of 163 places. Winners were Jason Dufner at the LaSalle Bank Open on the Nationwide Tour, Chawalit Plaphol at the Bangkok Airways Open on the Asian Tour and Marcus Higley at the Thomas Bjorn Open on the European Challenge Tour. Geoff Ogilvy won the U.S. Open at Winged Foot by a stroke from Jim Furyk, Colin Montgomerie and Phil Mickelson, with a final round of 72 for a 5 over par total of 285. Geoff Ogilvy, who began 2006 at World Nº 50 has now won a World Golf Championship and a Major Championship in the same year and moved into the Top 10 in an 8th position - an improvement on the week of 9 places. Ben Curtis won the Booz Allen Classic at the TPC at Avenel by 5 strokes from Padraig Harrington, Billy Andrade, Nick O'Hern and Steve Stricker as the tournament ran over to Tuesday morning due to inclement weather. The Open Champion of 2003 climbed back up 101 places to Nº 104. Some leading players have joined in entering the 2007 European Tour ranks are New Zealand amateur Jim Lapsley, Steve Martin (Scotland), Phillipe Dugeny (France) and another Aussie, Mike Ferguson who scored an unofficial course record of 63 in the 3rd round - winter rules having been in play. One player earning a provisional card is former USPGA Tour pro, 67-year-old Terry Dill, a friend of one of golf's legends Sam Snead and who is returning to a playing career after an unsuccessful attempt to enter politics in Texas State House of Representatives. |
Fri, 1st Dec 2006 Y.E.Yang - (South Korea) HSBC Champions Sheshan International - Shanghai - China - 9th to 12th November, 2006 Yang Yong-Eun from Korea won the HSCB Champions at Sheshan International Golf Club in China with a final round of 69 and a two-stroke margin over World Number One Tiger Woods. Yang, who won the Kolon Hana Bank Korean Open on the Asian Tour and the Suntory Open on the Japan Golf Tour, both in September 2006, climbed to Nº 38th and a rise of 39 places. |
Fri, 1st Dec 2006 Jose Manuel Lara - (Spain) UBS Hong Kong Open Hong Kong - Fanling - Hong Kong - 15th to 19th November, 2006 Jose Manuel Lara collected his maiden European Tour title with a wire-to-wire victory in the UBS Hong Kong Open. A final round of 69 for a 15 under par total of 265 earned the Spaniard a one stroke win over Filipino Juvic Pagunsan. Lara climbed 49 places to World Nº 78. |
Fri, 1st Dec 2006 Justin Rose - (England) MasterCard Masters Huntingdale - Melbourne - Australia - 23rd to 26th November, 2006 Justin Rose claimed his first win in four years with a victory in the MasterCard Masters at Huntingdale Golf Club in Melbourne, Australia. A final round 73 to finish on 12 and Ernie Els won the South African Airways Open at Humewood GC, Port Elizabeth by three strokes from compatriot and overnight leader Trevor Immelman after a brilliant final round of seven under par 65 in blustery conditions. |
Fri, 1st Dec 2006 Nathan Green - (Australia) Blue Chip New Zealand Open Gulf Harbour - Auckland - New Zealand - 30th to the 3rd December, 2006 Australian Nathan Green added another win to his European Tour total in New Zealand at Auckland. He arrived home with two strokes less than his nearest rivals grouped together which were Michael Campbell, Nick Dougherty, Marcus Frazer, Jarrod Moseley, Wade Ormsby and Brett Rumford. |