Two Portuguese in the Game

European Tour

The Portuguese Ricardo Santos secured in November, in Spain, the promotion to play next year on the European Tour.

The confirmation came at the Challenge Tour Grand Final (2nd European Division), in Maiorca , in which Santos finished 21st. The tournament, which featured only the top 45 in the Challenge Tour ranking, was won by Italian Franscesco Laporta, who finished the year as # 1 on the Challenge Tour. Laporta, who had already won twice this year, delivered a total of 278 strokes (68 + 69 + 70 + 71), -6, pocketing 72,000 euros. Ricardo Santos, who won the Swiss Challenge this season and had three top-3s, closed with 288 strokes (75, 73, 65 and 75), taking home a check for 4,475 euros, ending the year in 10th place on the Challenge Tour.

“It was not my best week and yet I ended up in the middle of the table with the best players here. It’s always positive. Four years ago I had been fighting on the Challenge Tour and obviously over the years things are getting harder and harder. Achieving it again is a source of great pride,” said Santos at the end.

This is the second time he reached the first division of European professional golf from the second division, having done so in 2011. That year he was #4 on the Challenge Tour ranking. The other Portuguese who was in the race, Filipe Lima, ended up outside of the top-15 of the final ranking that guaranteed promotion to the top Tour.