The final stop on the European swing sees the Road to Mallorca head to Lisbon for the 64th edition of the Open de Portugal. Here’s all you need to know ahead of Thursday’s opening tee shot...
New Venue
After six years at Royal Óbidos Spa & Golf Resort an hour north of Lisbon, the HotelPlanner Tour heads to PGA Aroeira for the latest edition of Portugal’s national open. This will be the first time the venue has hosted an event on the Road to Mallorca, although the venue was used in 1996 and 1997 when the Portuguese Open was held on the DP World Tour. It was two-time winner and now Sky Sports commentator Wayne Riley who prevailed in the ’96 edition, with Swede Michael Jonzon winning the following year.
Known as ‘The Wentworth of Lisbon’, Aroeira No. 1 was opened in 1973, designed by Englishman Frank Pennink. It winds through protected pine woodland, immersing golfers in the heart of Portugal’s natural beauty despite being so close to the capital. Surrounded by towering pine trees, the par-71 course is a gripping challenge for even the most experienced golfers, demanding accuracy off the tee if you are to earn a low score. The course also recently went through an extensive project to further elevate one of Portugal’s most popular layouts, with new and improved bunkers, a modernised irrigation system and enhanced sustainable landscaping.
Prestigious Winners
Since becoming a mainstay on the Road to Mallorca, the Open de Portugal has crowned players who have gone on to have success in the run in. In 2023 it was Marco Penge who came out on top, reaching 16 under par to win by four shots and move within reach of a DP World Tour card. The Englishman would then go on to win the season ending Grand Final to top the Rankings, graduating to Golf’s Global Tour and becoming the household name he is today.
South African JC Ritchie would then follow this trend last year, making birdie on the last three holes to win by one-stroke before getting his third win of the season the following week at the Italian Challenge Open. A seventh-place finish at the Grand Final meant that he followed in Penge’s footsteps, graduating as Rankings winner. Whoever wins this time around in Portugal will be hoping he can become the third winner in four years to top the season-long Rankings.
The history of the Open de Portugal extends beyond its most recent stint on the HotelPlanner Tour, having first been played over 70 years ago, and has seen some big names crowned. Former European Ryder Cup captains Colin Montgomerie and Sam Torrance both tasted victory at the event back in the 1980s, while Miguel Angel Jiménez and Thomas Bjørn won the Open de Portugal in 2004 and 2010 respectively.
Conclusion of the European Swing
The end of the Open de Portugal will also see the end of a mammoth run of 19 tournaments across 20 weeks on the Road to Mallorca, that started all the way back in May with Chris Wood’s emotional maiden HotelPlanner Tour title. Maiden winners became one of the major themes of the period, with an extraordinary 12 new champions crowned across the stretch.
The run also saw the fifth ever sub-60 round in HotelPlanner Tour History, when Lars Van der Vight shot a 59 at the German Challenge powered by VcG on his way to victory in his rookie season. The 2025 Pro Golf Tour graduate was soon joined in the winner’s circle by 2025 Tartan Pro Tour graduate Rory Franssen, as players from the Official Satellite Tours proved their worth.
The period also saw the Road to Mallorca Rankings leader change three times, MJ Daffue starting the stretch in the lead before Pablo Ereno took command, until August when Blomstrand’s two victories in four events saw him take pole position. But with just five events left and lots of points left to earn, it’s all still to play for.
