OPEN DE PORTUGAL TO SHINE INTERNATIONAL SPOTLIGHT ON PGA AROEIRA LISBOA AGAIN

Preparations are moving up a gear as PGA Aroeira Lisboa gets ready to make its long-awaited return to the international sporting spotlight by hosting the 64th edition of the Open de Portugal – the country’s flagship professional tournament.

Thirty years after first being handed the honour, the 36-hole resort – the only PGA National venue in Portugal – will stage the most important event in the Portuguese Golf Federation’s annual calendar on the venue’s revered PGA Aroeira No.1 course from September 17-20.

Created in 1953, the Open de Portugal is one of the oldest events in European golf and was part of the founding schedule of the European Tour in 1972. It remained on the main tour until 2010 and is now part of the HotelPlanner Tour, a feeder to the DP World Tour.

Australia’s Wayne Riley, now an integral member of the Sky Sports Golf team, beat off competition from a strong line-up including Paul Lawrie, Miguel Ángel Jiménez, Pádraig Harrington, Retief Goosen, Lee Westwood and Paul McGinley to win the tournament when Aroeira hosted it in 1996 before Swede Michael Jonson lifted the trophy 12 months later, defeating the likes of Darren Clarke and Spanish legends Seve Ballesteros and José María Olazábal.

Nuno Sepulveda, co-CEO at Details – Sports, Hospitality, Leisure – PGA Aroeira Lisboa’s management company, said: “PGA Aroeira is one of the most recognised golf venues in Portugal, so it’s a great moment for us to welcome the Open de Portugal back 30 years after first hosting the tournament.

“The work and investment carried out at PGA Aroeira Lisboa over recent years are now starting to show results, and being chosen as the host venue for an event of this importance is something we are extremely proud of. This event is very important not only for PGA Aroeira Lisboa, but also for Portugal, helping to showcase the country, the Lisbon region and everything they offer as a golf and tourism destination.

“Golf continues to play an important role in Portugal’s tourism industry, attracting visitors from around the world, and we’re delighted to play a part in bringing this event back to PGA Aroeira.

“It is with great satisfaction that we see the Portuguese Open return to Aroeira 30 years later. PGA Aroeira Lisboa is a historic golf course, set within the magnificent pine forest of Aroeira, just a few minutes from Lisbon, offering unique conditions to once again host a tournament of this scale and international prestige.”

Pedro Nunes Pedro, president of the Portuguese Golf Federation, said: “For the Portuguese Golf Federation, the Portuguese Open plays a hugely important role not only in the international promotion of tourism and the positioning of the region as a golf destination, but also from a fundamental sporting perspective. This tournament gives young Portuguese players the opportunity to begin their careers in an international setting, alongside athletes who already hold HotelPlanner Tour cards, such as Tomás Melo Gouveia and Pedro Figueiredo.”

Delivered through a collaborative partnership between PGA Aroeira, Details, the Portuguese Golf Federation, the DP World Tour, Câmara Municipal de Almada and Lisbon Tourist Board, this year’s Open de Portugal is set to feature line-up of 156 players competing for a prize fund of around €300,000 on PGA Aroeira No. 1, one of the resort’s two 18-hole championship courses.

“The return of the Open to the Lisbon Region, namely to Aroeira, reflects the commitment that the Turismo de Lisboa has been making towards promoting all areas of the region and attracting major international events that help showcase the extraordinary and diverse tourism offering of the Lisbon Region. It is a fantastic match between sport, tourism and destination promotion.” said Carla Salsinha, president of the Regional Tourism of Lisbon.

Designed by Frank Pennink and meandering through tall avenues of pine forest and surrounded by wildlife, the 6,650-yard layout – which opened in 1973 and is situated 30 minutes outside Lisbon – is considered one of the best layouts in continental Europe. Like its younger sibling PGA Aroeira 2, the course has undergone a significant recent maintenance programme to enhance the golf-course experience being offered to members and guests.

Upgrades to the course include a major upgrade of the tee boxes and bunkers while, as part of PGA Aroeira’s ongoing commitment to sustainability, a new state-of-the-art irrigation system was installed to improve putting surfaces which has reduced the amount of water required by up to 20 per cent.

Details – Sports, Hospitality, Leisure – took over the management of PGA Aroeira Lisboa three years ago and the resort is one of 14 golf venues in the portfolio of Portugal’s largest golf course operator.

In addition to significantly improving the golf facilities, further investment will include the opening of Aroeira Collections by Missoni, an exclusive residential and tourist project in partnership with the world-renowned Italian fashion house. At the heart of the ambitious development will be the Aroeira Collections Hotel which, set to open in 2027 and offering 138 one and two-bedroom apartments, will sit in the centre of the resort’s two championship courses and be a major boost for Portuguese tourism and the local economy.

For more details about PGA Aroeira Lisboa, please visit https://pgaaroeira.com/

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