The European Tour returns to the stunning Penha Longa course after a four-year break for the Estoril Open, the final leg of the “Portuguese Swing”.
Among those competing in this new event is the current No.3 in the Volvo Order of Merit, John Bickerton, who returns to the course where he equalled the European Tour record of eight consecutive birdies during the 1995 Portuguese Open. Bickerton has enjoyed a remarkable run of form this year since graduating from the Challenge Tour with five top-ten finishes in his nine events in 1999. Indeed two of his best performances have been on Portuguese soil when he finished runner-up behind Van Phillips in the Algarve Portuguese Open after a play-off and tied fourth in the Madeira Island Open, won by Pedro Linhart.
Bickerton’s remarkable birdie run in 1995 started on the Friday when he birdied the eighth, ninth, tenth and 11th before play was halted in fading light. He resumed on the 12th tee the following morning to continue his run with 4-3-3-2 before narrowly missing a 25-foot putt on the 16th to break the Tour record.
Seve Ballesteros set the Tour record of eight consecutive birdies in the Italian Open in 1985 and since then six players have equalled that record, most recently Italy’s Marcello Santi during the Turespaña Masters - Open Andalucía.
The current No.1 in the Volvo Order of Merit, David Howell, is one of five of this season’s champions in the field, the others being Gerry Norquist (Benson and Hedges Malaysian Open), Paul Lawrie (Qatar Masters), Phillips and Linhart. Indeed it was Lawrie’s coach Adam Hunter who won the Portuguese Open here in 1995.
Phil Price, joint second in Qatar, returns to the course where he picked up his first European Tour title in 1994 after leading from start to finish to win by four shots. His opening round of 64 established the course record.
The Penha Longa course is located in the heart of the golden triangle of Sintra, Estoril and Cascais, skilfully integrated in the gentle foothills of the historic town of Sintra near the Atlantic Ocean.
