The 146th Open Championship Silver Medal winner Alfie Plant is looking forward to his first tournament as a professional when he tees it up at the Portugal Masters at Dom Pedro Victoria Golf Course this week.
The 25 year old Englishman impressed at Royal Birkdale, with a third round 69 the highlight as he took the coveted prize awarded to the tournament’s leading amateur.
Plant, who was part of the GB&I team in the 46thWalker Cup earlier this month, enjoyed an impressive amateur career. He was a member of the England Elite squad and secured notable wins at the Lytham Trophy in 2016 and the European Amateur Championships in 2017, with the latter victory securing his place at The Open.
Plant has received a professional tournament invitation for the Portugal Masters, as have players including Spanish legend José Maria Olazábal and his Walker Cup team mates Jack Davidson and Connor Syme.
An impressive field will gather in Vilamoura on September 21 – 24, including reigning champion and three-time Major winner Padraig Harrington, three-time European Tour winner Thomas Pieters, 2016 Masters Tournament winner Danny Willett and another previous Portugal Masters champion Shane Lowry, who lifted the trophy in 2012 in his first victory as a professional.
Plant said: “This has been a fantastic year for me so far. I’m really excited about the next chapter in my career, and taking part in my first tournament as a professional is a big part of that.
“I’ve heard great things about the Portugal Masters - I’m really looking forward to the week in Vilamoura, and being part of a strong field. Hopefully I can take some inspiration from Shane Lowry’s first professional win in 2012!”
Peter Adams, European Tour Championship Director for the Portugal Masters, said: “We’re delighted to welcome Alfie to the Portugal Masters and hope his experiences at Dom Pedro Victoria Golf Course will add to what has been an unforgettable year for him.”
The Portugal Masters has been a fixture on the European Tour International Schedule for 11 years, with every edition hosted at Dom Pedro Victoria Golf Course in Vilamoura.
For the second year in a row the European Disabled Golf Association (EDGA) has been selected as the tournament’s Official Charity. Fundraising opportunities during the week include the opportunity for spectators to purchase raffle tickets for a grand prize draw, with fantastic prizes donated by the sponsors of the Portugal Masters, and all proceeds going to EDGA. Spectators can also donate €1 each to EDGA in return for the daily draw sheet, plus there will be activity in conjunction with golfbreaks.com during Wednesday’s pro-am.
Elite disabled golfers will be on site over the weekend to play the 18thhole on Saturday afternoon, and get involved in the long drive exhibition on Sunday.
Fans can purchase tickets for the 2017 Portugal Masters ateuropeantour.com/tickets
