Steven Brown Takes Maiden European Tour Win At Portugal Masters

England’s Steven Brown has become the newest winner on the European Tour after he carded a final round of 66 to win the Portugal Masters.

Coming into the week, Steven Brown was sat in 150th on the Race to Dubai and needed nothing short of a miracle to make it inside the top 117 to keep his Tour card. With the victory, though, he is now exempt through to the end of the 2021 season.

The Englishman was one of just three men to shoot four sub-70 rounds at the Dom Pedro Victoria Golf Course this week, finishing on -17, winning the tournament by a single shot.

He carded a bogey-free final round of 66 in Vilamoura, with there birdies and an eagle at the par-five 12th to move into contention.

However, it was still Brandon Stone’s trophy to lose at that point, as he sat a shot ahead of the Englishman. The South African, though, bogeyed the 13th and 16th to drop to -16, missing out on a playoff with Steven Brown by a shot.

Stone was joined by a fellow countryman in a tie for 2nd, with Justin Walters carding a 66 to recover from Saturday’s 71 in Vilamoura.

Walters had a very up-and-down round, in which he led at several points. He also had a share of the lead coming down the 72nd hole, but he could only manage a bogey at the par-4 18th, dropping behind Brown by a shot.

France’s Adrien Saddier shot a 66, while Chris Paisley carded a 64, with the pair both moving into the top five come to the end of the week.

Eddie Pepperell and Jeunghun Wang finished in a tie for 6th, ahead of Australian Jake McLeod, who carded the best round of the day.

He shot a 63 around Dom Pedro Victoria on Sunday, following on from his opening round of 65. It could have been a very different story this week for the Australian, but rounds of 72 on Friday and Saturday put a halt to his charge.

McLeod was joined by a quintet of Englishmen in a tie for 8th at -12, including ‘Mr.59’ himself, Oliver Fisher. He carded a 72 to drop out of the top three on Sunday.

Matt Wallace and Tom Lewis, the reigning champion, both shot 69 on the final day, while Jack Singh Brar and Andy Sullivan move up into the top ten thanks to final rounds of 66 apiece.

It was a bad day for three of the South Africans in the top ten going into the final round, with Dean Burmester, Darren Fichardt and Haydn Porteous all shooting over-par and dropping away.

Burmester was in a tie for 2nd coming into the final day, but he carded a two-over-par 73 to drop down into a tie for 14th. Fichardt shot a 74, while Porteous fell away from the top five and into a tie for 40th after a disastrous 76, including three bogeys in his final five holes.

Back at the top of the leaderboard, and it was Steven Brown’s week in Portugal! The Englishman claimed his maiden European Tour title in wonderful fashion, as his 66 on Sunday was enough for him to win the title by one shot.

The European Tour and PGA TOUR join forces next week for the WGC-HSBC Champions, held in China, ahead of the final stretch of Rolex Series events.

There are just three European Tour tournaments left after the HSBC, with the Turkish Airlines Open kicking off the final charge to Abu Dhabi come to the end of November.

Leaderboard:

• 1 (-17): Steven Brown (ENG)
• T2 (-16): Justin Walters (RSA), Brandon Stone (RSA)
• 4 (-15): Adrien Saddier (FRA
• 5 (-14): Chris Paisley (ENG)

Selected Others:

• T14 (-11): Guido Migliozzi (ITA), Louis de Jager (RSA), Dean Burmester (RSA)
• T21 (-10): Martin Kaymer (GER), Shubhankar Sharma (IND), Renato Paratore (ITA)
• T27 (-8): Ricardo Gouveia (POR), Tomas Santos Silva (POR), Bernd Ritthammer (GER)