While the Pga Tour inaugurates the 2014-2015 season and a new Fedex ranking, this week the European circuit stops in Portugal for the fourth-to-last tournament before the Final Series, the 4 events that close the Old Continent's golf "championship". Among the contenders, starting today in the race, there is also a quartet of excellent Italians, led by world number 49 Francesco Molinari and made up of Matteo Manassero, Marco Crespi and Andrea Pavan.
Francesco will try to finally conquer his first trophy in the Algarve, where he has always performed very well in all the seven editions he has participated in, placing each time within the 38th place and finishing second in two editions. The Portugal Masters, which takes place on the spectacular Oceånico Victoria Golf Club, in Vilamoura in the Algarve, is also tempting for the young Matteo, eager to redeem a disappointing season.
“Since I've been on the tour I've won a tournament every year – says Manassero – but in 2014 I still haven't succeeded. I don't want to interrupt the positive cycle and the Portugal Masters is a good opportunity to maintain this continuity". The appointment is also very important for Andrea Pavan, who risks losing his card.
The field is of a good level and includes the Spaniards Alvaro Quiros and Rafael Cabrera Bello, the British Oliver Wilson, fresh from his success in the Alfred Dunhill Links, Tommy Fleetwood, Danny Willett and David Lynn, who defends the title, the Northern Irishman Darren Clarke, the Irish Padraig Harrington, the Belgian Nicolas Colsaerts, the Scot Marc Warren, the South Africans Jbe Kruger and Branden Grace, the Austrian Bernd Wiesberger, the Thai Thongchai Jaidee and the Portuguese Ricardo Gouveia, scored last Sunday in Rome in the EMC Golf Challenge (Challenge Tour) on the Olgiata course. There are two million euros up for grabs, with 333.330 euros of first coin. The appointment is broadcast live on Sky Sport with commentary by Silvio Grappasonni.
Meanwhile, the new season of the PGA Tour begins earlier than the calendar year starting from Napa, California, with the Frys.com Open (October 9-12) on the Silverado CC course. Practically deserted by almost all the strongest players, the field is however of good standing due to the presence of Jimmy Walker, who defends the title, Matt Kuchar, Hunter Mahan, Brandt Snedeker, Bo Van Pelt, England's Lee Westwood, Gonzalo Fernandez Castaño from Spain, Vijay Singh from Fijano, Retief Goosen from South Africa and Brendon de Jonge from Zimbabwe. The jackpot is six million dollars, over a million will reward the winner.
Among the contenders, starting today in the race, there is also a quartet of excellent Italians, led by world number 49 Francesco Molinari and made up of Matteo Manassero, Marco Crespi and Andrea Pavan.
Francesco will try to finally conquer his first trophy in the Algarve, where he has always performed very well in all the seven editions he has participated in, placing each time within the 38th place and finishing second in two editions. The Portugal Masters, which takes place on the spectacular Oceånico Victoria Golf Club, in Vilamoura in the Algarve, is also tempting for the young Matteo, eager to redeem a disappointing season.
“Since I've been on the tour I've won a tournament every year – says Manassero – but in 2014 I still haven't succeeded. I don't want to interrupt the positive cycle and the Portugal Masters is a good opportunity to maintain this continuity".
The appointment is also very important for Andrea Pavan, who risks losing his card.
The field is of a good level and includes the Spaniards Alvaro Quiros and Rafael Cabrera Bello, the British Oliver Wilson, fresh from his success in the Alfred Dunhill Links, Tommy Fleetwood, Danny Willett and David Lynn, who defends the title, the Northern Irishman Darren Clarke, the Irish Padraig Harrington, the Belgian Nicolas Colsaerts, the Scottish Marc Warren, the South Africans Jbe Kruger and Branden Grace, the Austrian Bernd Wiesberger, the Thai Thongchai Jaidee and the Portuguese Ricardo Gouveia, who scored last Sunday in Rome in the EMC Golf Challenge (Challenge Tour) on the Olgiata route. There are two million euros up for grabs, with 333.330 euros of first coin. The appointment is broadcast live on Sky Sport with commentary by Silvio Grappasonni.
Meanwhile, the new season of the PGA Tour begins earlier than the calendar year starting in Napa, California, with the Frys.com Open (October 9-12) on the Silverado CC course. Practically deserted by almost all the strongest players, the field is however of good standing due to the presence of Jimmy Walker, who defends the title, Matt Kuchar, Hunter Mahan, Brandt Snedeker, Bo Van Pelt, England's Lee Westwood, Gonzalo Fernandez Castaño from Spain, Vijay Singh from Fijano, Retief Goosen from South Africa and Brendon de Jonge from Zimbabwe. The prize pool is six million dollars, over one million will reward the winner.
