The young athlete Sofia Barroso Sá, representative of the Quinta do Lago Association, became, this Sunday, February 6, the first woman to win a tournament of the Portuguese Golf Federation (FPG) Circuit, heading the final classification that included 111 athletes, 22 of which professionals.
The absolute national champion won the 1st FPG Circuit Tournament, which took place in Montado Hotel & Golf Resort, in Palmela, beating a member of the Challenge Tour, Tomás Melo Gouveia, and for five strokes a player from Ladies European Tour Access Series, Leonor Guimarães Bessa.
According to the FPG, these three players «were the only ones to beat par on the field», designed by Jorge Santana da Silva, with Sofia Sá scoring 138 strokes, six under par, after rounds of 69 and 69, while Tomás Melo Gouveia totaled 139, five less than a young athlete. Leonor Bessa totaled 143 strokes.
FPG recalls that, on December 1st, Leonor Bessa «had already been a pioneer in becoming the first player to win a mixed professional tournament, at the PGA Portugal Open, at Amendoeira Golf Resort, in Silves». Here, in order to win, she "had to defeat, in a play-off, her boyfriend", Tomás Melo Gouveia, who "became runner-up again" in this Sunday's tournament.
The Federation emphasizes that «the feat of Sofia Sá is even more impressive for being a competition with the best amateurs and many of the good Portuguese professionals and having triple the number of participants».
The player, who represents the Quinta do Lago Association, guaranteed the victory of the mixed classification, «thanks to a birdie on the last hole, on the emblematic par-18 3, with the green situated on an island”.
“My objective, of course, was not to beat the professionals, but of course I'm happy. It's a sign that the work I've been developing has borne fruit», said athlete Sofia Barroso Sá who, despite residing in Belmonte, represents a club in the Algarve, where she trains with José Ferreira.
"Yesterday I turned 27 putts and I had a score of three under par, whereas last week at Internacional de Portugal, on the two days I played under par, I had scored 32 putts, hitting a lot greens». I got it right today greens and I turned 31 putts», added Sofia Sá.
Miguel Franco de Sousa, president of the FPG, said that this victory “could not have been faster and unequivocal”.
Speaking to the SIC Notícias program “Golf Report”, the president stated that “Sofia has shown an absolutely extraordinary regularity of results” and that “there are more and more girls playing and training” because “they have conditions, they have nationally and internationally, they have good support from their clubs and their technical structures».
Miguel Franco de Sousa also guaranteed that «one of the great objectives of the FPG is to recover the Ladies Open of Portugal, a test that deserves to be on the calendar of the Ladies European Tour».
The winners of the 1st Tournament of the FPG Circuit of 2022, at Montado Hotel & Golf Resort, were the following:
• 1st in the general classification, Sofia Barroso Sá (Quinta do Lago Association);
• 1st in the professional classification, Tomás Melo Gouveia (Atlantic Partners Asia);
• 1st in the male amateur classification, Pedro Clare Neves (Club de Golf de Miramar);
• 1st in the female net classification, Francisca Salgado (Quinta do Peru Golf & Country Club);
• 1st in the men's net classification, Duarte Gonçalves (Club de Golf de Miramar);
The second FPG Circuit Tournament is scheduled for the 2nd and 3rd of April, at Oporto Golf Club, in Espinho.
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