TOURNAMENT STATS

Birmingham golfer Andy Sullivan will attempt to become the first player to successfully defend the Portugal Masters.

Sullivan’s nine-shot win in 2015 was the biggest victory margin of the 2015 European Tour season.

When Sullivan claimed the Portugal Masters crown it was his third European Tour success of the season. He became the seventh golfer, and first Englishman, in Tour history to win their first three titles in the same season.

The 2014 Portugal Masters was the second European Tour title of that season for Frenchman, Alexander Levy. This victory meant he became the first Frenchman to record multiple European Tour victories in the same season.

The 2014 Portugal Masters was reduced to 36 holes due to bad weather and was the 10th official European Tour event to be curtailed to 36 holes. This was the second time during the 2014 season an event was played over 36 holes. The other was also on Portuguese soil, at the Madeira Islands Open.

Scott Jamieson came within a whisker of the first official 59 at the 2013 Portugal Masters. The Scot’s round of 60 was the 18th official score of 60 in European Tour history.

Tom Lewis claimed his first European Tour title in just this third event as a professional at the 2011 Portugal Masters. This matched the Tour record for a player winning in the fewest amount of events since leaving the amateur game. Alejandro Canizares won on his third pro outing at the 2006 Russian Open.

Playing as a sponsor’s invitation in 2011, Lewis, then aged 20 years and 284 days, became the third youngest Englishman to win in Tour history, behind Paul Way and Sir Nick Faldo.

When Shane Lowry won the 2012 Portugal Masters beating Ross Fisher by one shot, he joined Pablo Martin Benavides as the only two players to have won on the European Tour as an amateur and professional. Lowry won the Irish Open in 2009 as an amateur in his first Tour appearance.