Belgian golfer Thomas Pieters will defend the title of champion of the Portugal Masters in this year's edition, which will take place from October 27th to 30th, at Dom Pedro Victoria, in Vilamoura.
The athlete snatched his fifth DP World Tour title in last year's edition, after a last lap of 68 shots, three under par, ending at -19 and a two-stroke advantage over three players: Frenchman Mathieu Pavon and the Danish duo of Lucas Bjerregaard and Nicolai Højgaard.
The victory in the Algarve kicked off a period of good form for Pieters, who returned to the top-50 of the world rankings and then took his first victory in Rolex Series events at the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship in January. , his sixth trophy on the DP World Tour.
In 2022, the 30-year-old has enjoyed yet another successful season on the DP World Tour. He is ranked 6th in the DP World Tour Rankings in Partnership with Rolex and, in addition to the aforementioned victory in the United Arab Emirates, he was also ranked 2nd (-22) at the BMW International Open, in June, in Germany; 3rd (-11) at the Cazoo Open de France, in September; and recorded three more top-10s.
«I am very excited to be returning to Vilamoura in October. I'm really proud of my victory last year and how I was able to close the race. It's been a while since I had a win (since 2019), but mine caddy, Adam, and I had worked well and hard during those two years, so I felt it was a well-deserved award,” said Thomas Pieters.
«The Portugal Masters will be my last tournament of the season, because my partner and I are expecting our second child in November», he announced.
“I hope I can conclude the season on a high note. With Ryder Cup points on the line, the incentive is even greater to do well in every event I participate in, because I would love to have the opportunity to represent Europe again," added the Belgian, who this year also competed in four regular PGA Tour tournaments, although it favors the DP World Tour.
The Portugal Masters promises excitement until the end, as it is the last regular event to award points for the 2022 DP World Tour Rankings.
It is the last opportunity for players who are in the fight for maintenance in the 2023 DP World Tour (Ricardo Melo Gouveia and Ricardo Santos are in this situation). As soon as the most important Portuguese golf tournament ends, the top-110 guarantees the card for the following season.
Tickets for the 16th edition of Portugal Masters are now available. The tournament will take place again at the Dom Pedro Victoria Golf Course, a course designed by Arnold Palmer.
There are passes for every day, with access to the field from the Pro-Am on Wednesday, extending over the remaining four days of the competition. These passes are priced at 60 euros for adults and 24 euros for young people aged 13 to 17. The ticket for a single day amounts to 20 euros for adults and 10 euros for young people (13-17 years old). Children up to 12 years old are admitted free of charge, as long as they are accompanied by an adult who has purchased their ticket.
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