MID-AMATEURS CHAMPIONSHIP

José Maria Cazal Ribeiro and Ana Paula Saúde, won the 26th BPI National Mid-Amateurs Championship organized by the FPG – Portuguese Golf Federation at the Ribagolfe 1, in Benavente, on a course belonging to the Grupo Orizone Golf. Ana Paula Saude won her fourth title in this tournament, repeating the successes of 2012 (Aroeira 1), 2013 (Troia) and 2015 (Ribagolfe 2), while José Maria Cazal Ribeiro won his first in this year’s edition of the tournament designed for 30-plus, especially satisfying as, one year ago, at the Quinta do Peru Golf & Country Club, he suffered a defeat that was difficult to accept in a play off. The two tournaments, despite the differences – men’s had 95 contestants, while the ladies only gathered 5 – had in common the fact that they were both extremely competitive, being decided by very small margins. In ladies’, Ana Paula Saude, from the Clube de Golfe do Estoril, managed to hold both the title of national senior’s champion (2016) and mid-amateur (2017), something that hadn’t happened since Graça Medina did it in 2010. Saude beat Mafalda Magalhães (Oeiras), the 2014 champion, by a single stroke. Ana Paula Saude shot 177, 33 over par, turning in cards of 88 and 89, while Mafalda Magalhães shot 178 (90+88). Amongst the five players, there were only three birdies, all in the second round: one for Ana Basilio dos Santos, two for Ana Paula Saude, and that made all the difference. If in the ladies’ tournament there was a single stroke deciding who was champion, in men’s it was even closer, since José Maria Cazal Ribeiro and Luis Costa Macedo – both considering themselves best friends, and both representing the Lisbon Sports Club – both got to the end of the regulation 36 holes tied with 151 strokes, 7 over par. Cazal Ribeiro shot rounds of 76 and 75, while Costa Macedo shot 77 and 74, with this 74 (+2) being the lowest round of the tournament.

Ana Paula Saúde e José Maria Cazal Ribeiro venceram o 26º Campeonato Nacional de Mid-Amateurs BPI, que a Federação Portuguesa de Golfe (FPG) organizou no campo nº1 do Ribagolfe, no Concelho de Benavente. Ana Paula Saúde conquistou o seu quarto título na prova, repetindo os sucessos de 2012 (no Aroeira-1), 2013 (Troia) e 2015 (Ribagolfe-2), enquanto José Maria Cazal Ribeiro averbou o seu primeiro sucesso na principal competição portuguesa para maiores de 30 anos, que foi ainda mais saborosa por, há um ano, no Quinta do Peru Golf & Country Club, ter sofrido uma derrota difícil de engolir num play-off. Os dois torneios, apesar de diferentes – com o masculino a registar o bom número de 95 participantes e o feminino a ficar-se pelas 5 concorrentes – tiveram em comum o facto de terem sido extremamente competitivos, decidindo-se por margens mínimas. Na prova feminina, Ana Paula Saúde, do Club de Golf do Estoril, cometeu a proeza de deter ao mesmo tempo os títulos de campeã nacional de seniores (alcançado em 2016) e de mid-amateurs (2017), algo que não sucedia deste Graça Medina em 2010, mas só bateu por 1 única pancada Mafalda Magalhães (Oeiras), a campeã de 2014. Ana Paula Saúde somou 177 pancadas, 33 acima do Par, entregando cartões de 88 e 89, enquanto Mafalda Magalhães totalizou 178 (90+88), +34. Entre as cinco jogadoras, ao longo de dois dias de prova, só houve 3 birdies, todos carimbados na segunda volta: 1 de Ana Basílio dos Santos e 2 de Ana Paula Saúde. Isso fez toda a diferença. Se no torneio feminino houve apenas 1 pancada a decidir a campeã, no masculino nem isso, uma vez que José Maria Cazal Ribeiro e Luís Costa Macedo – que se consideram os dois melhores amigos e representam ambos o Lisbon Sports Club – chegaram ao final dos 36 buracos regulamentares empatados com 151 pancadas, 7 acima do Par! Cazal Ribeiro protagonizou voltas de 76 e 74, Costa Macedo entregou cartões de 77 e 74, sendo este 74 (+2) o melhor resultado de todo o torneio.