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Portugal Masters: Tom Lewis Looks For Third Title

By Matt Coles

ALBUFEIRA, PORTUGAL - SEPTEMBER 23: Tom Lewis of England poses for a photo with his trophy after winning during Day Four of the Portugal Masters at Dom Pedro Victoria Golf Course on September 23, 2018 in Albufeira, Portugal. (Photo by Warren Little/Getty Images)
ALBUFEIRA, PORTUGAL - SEPTEMBER 23: Tom Lewis of England poses for a photo with his trophy after winning during Day Four of the Portugal Masters at Dom Pedro Victoria Golf Course on September 23, 2018 in Albufeira, Portugal. (Photo by Warren Little/Getty Images) /
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There are just five tournaments left in the European Tour schedule for the 2019 season, with the Portugal Masters up next, starting on Thursday.

This is the 13th consecutive year that the event has been run, with the first edition of the Portugal Masters taking place in 2007. The Dom Pedro Victoria GC hosts the event, and it has done throughout its run on the European Tour calendar.

The course, situated in the south of the country, was designed by the late, great, Arnold Palmer, and there have been updates to it since last year’s event.

The reigning champion is the only man to have won the event twice, in England’s Tom Lewis. Last year’s victory was an epic comeback from the Englishman, who started with a level-par 71. He then went 63-61-66 to come through the field to finish on -22, three shots clear of the pack.

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It was his second victory on the Tour, with his maiden win also coming at the same event, back in 2011, in what was just his third start on the European Tour. Lewis comes into this event as the defending champ, and he is in good form, after a T5 finish at the Alfred Dunhill Links earlier this month.

Fellow Englishmen Lee Westwood and Andy Sullivan also feature this week, having won the title in 2009 and 2015 respectively, while the likes of Padraig Harrington and Lucas Bjerregard are also in this week’s field looking to win their second Portugal Masters title.

Another aiming to do so is Frenchman Alexander Levy, who’s is in danger of losing his European Tour card. He currently sits in 122nd on the Race to Dubai list, with just 117 players retaining their cards for the 2020 campaign.

The man that does sit 117th is England’s Jack Singh Brar on 415.0 points. However, the likes of Paul Dunne, Jeunghun Wang, Hugo Leon, Justin Walters, Max Schmitt, Gonzalo Fernandez-Castano, and Bernd Ritthammer will all be aiming to overtake the Englishman to reach the top 117, at what is the final event before the cut off point.

Currently sitting in 112th, and just 13.9 points above countryman Brar is Oliver Wilson, the only golfer in history to card a 59 on the European Tour, and he did so at the very event last year, with ten birdies and an eagle in his second round in Portugal.

Back to the reigning champion, and he tees off at 09:00 local (GMT+1), alongside fellow Englishmen Lee Westwood and Matt Wallace in what is arguably the featured group of the week.

Jeunghun Wang and Paul Dunne tee off alongside each other in the battle for 117th, starting ten minutes after the English trio on Thursday morning.

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Selected Tee Times (* = 10th tee start):

  • 08:50* & 13:10: Gonzalo Fernandez-Castano (ESP), Lee Slattery (ENG), Oliver Fisher (ENG)
  • 09:00* & 13:20: Lee Westwood (ENG), Tom Lewis (ENG), Matt Wallace (ENG)
  • 09:10* & 13:30: Alvaro Quiros (ESP), Jeunghun Wang (KOR), Paul Dunne (IRL)
  • 13:00 & 08:30*: Ross Fisher (ENG), Lucas Bjerregard (DEN), Chris Wood (ENG)
  • 13:10 & 08:40*: Brandon Stone (RSA), Andy Sullivan (ENG), Joachim Hansen (DEN)
  • 13:20 & 08:50*: Martin Kaymer (GER), Eddie Pepperell (ENG), Ryan Fox (NZL)
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