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Carlos Ferreira (TeeTimes) and Pedro Silva (Golftours) with Johan Edfors undoubtedly the most improved player of 2006. This great team scored -13 for the day.

Won three times during the season with victories in the TCL Classic in China, The Quinn Direct British Masters and the Barclays Scottish Open on his way to tenth on the Order of Merit. As such, he became the first Qualifying School graduate to win three times in the following season.

Showed enormous potential when he topped the 2003 Challenge Tour Rankings having secured nine top ten finishes on the Challenge Tour - including two victories at the Stanbic Zambia Open and the Fortis Challenge Open in The Netherlands.

Played amateur golf for the Swedish National Team and made a dramatic improvement during his fifth year on the Challenge Tour after spending the previous four years outside the top 100 in the Rankings.

Narrowly missed out on retaining his card in 2004 and returned to the Challenge Tour in 2005, finishing 45th on the Rankings before winning back his place on Tour at the Qualifying School.

The race to become European Number One gathers pace in The Algarve this week with the inaugural Portugal Masters at Oceânico Victoria Golf Club in Vilamoura.

England’s Justin Rose resumes his quest to capture the Harry Vardon Trophy for the first time and a first victory on European soil for five years would go a long way to help him achieve that long-held ambition.

Rose is currently third on the Order of Merit with €2,247,535 from ten events and victory at Victoria – worth €500,000 from a prize fund of €3 million – would carry him to the Number One spot going into the season’s finale in the Volvo Masters at Valderrama.

A first round defeat by Hunter Mahan of the United States in the HSBC World Match Play Championship last week at Wentworth Club was a disappointment to Rose, who admits that winning the Order of Merit is a huge ambition.

Rose said: “My goals were to play well in the Majors and get into the Top 20 in the world. I’ve done that, so now I guess it would be to win a tournament and the Order of Merit.

“I’ve had three seconds this year and a piece of silverware would definitely cap a good year for me. The Order of Merit is very achievable now. I’m certainly moving in the right direction and it’s a great goal which basically presented itself halfway through the season.”

Double US Open Champion Retief Goosen of South Africa, and Argentina’s Andres Romero, are also two players who have an outside chance of capturing the Order of Merit, providing they enjoy success over an impressive field ready to pit their skills against the Arnold Palmer-designed course which hosted the 2005 World Cup.

Goosen won the US Open Championship in both 2001 and 2004 and also topped The European Tour Order of Merit in 2001 and 2002. He is in ninth spot in 2007, while exciting young talent Romero, who captured The Deutche Bank Players’ Championship of Europe in July, is seventh.

England’s Lee Westwood, a two-time winner in 2007 at the Valle Romano Open de Andalucia in May and The Quinn Direct British Masters in September, returns to the competitive fray along with his ISM stable-mates Darren Clarke, Paul McGinley and golf’s newest teenage sensation, Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland.

McIlroy had made a massive impact in just three events as a professional, finishing tied 42nd in The Quinn Direct British Masters – his European Tour debut – third in the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship and tied fourth in last week’s Open de Madrid Valle Romano, to earn €268,030.

A galaxy of winners from the 2007 International Schedule will also be in action, including Nick Dougherty, who triumphed over an international gathering to claim the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship at St Andrews.

The English duo of Ross Fisher and Graeme Storm, Scotland’s Marc Warren, Frenchmen Grégory Havret and Raphaël Jacquelin and the Spanish trio of José Manuel Lara, Pablo Martin and Alvaro Quiros, all ably supported by their compatriot and 13 time European Tour winner Miguel Angel Jiménez, will add to the international flavour of the event.

The distinctively ponytailed Jiménez is popular with the crowds wherever he plays but he will not be the most fervently supported player in the Portugal Masters; that honour undoubtedly going to local favourite José-Filipe Lima.

The 25 year old won the 2004 Aa St Omer Open but at that time was still representing France, having been born in Versailles. But with both his parents Portugese, Lima opted to change nationality at the end of the 2004 season and has not looked back, improving his Order of Merit position in both 2005 and 2006, and also representing Portugal in the 2005 World Cup alongside Antonio Sobrinho.

“My mother and father are both Portugese and I love this country, that is why I made the change,” said Lima, who will aim to become only the second Portuguese winner in European Tour history after Daniel Silva, who won the 1992 Jersey European Open. “It is important to play for yourself in golf, obviously, but it is also important to play for your family.”

The Portugal Masters will be the first tournament to be played at the Oceânico Victoria Golf Club, Vilamoura, since the 2005 World Cup in Portugal and the Welsh duo of Stephen Dodd and Bradley Dredge, who memorably triumphed on that occasion, are looking forward to rekindling the wonderful memories of that week in The Algarve two years ago.

The Portugal Masters further enhances Portugal’s commitment to The European Tour, with the country already having hosted two other tournaments on The 2007 European Tour International Schedule, the Madeira Islands Open BPI, won by Argentina’s Daniel Vancsik, and the Estoril Open de Portugal, won by Spain’s Pablo Martin.

Major Champions, Ryder Cup players and a host of European Tour winners will gather at the Oceânico Victoria Golf Club, Vilamoura, for the inaugural Portugal Masters from October 18-21, battling for the lion’s share of a €3 million prize fund.

Double US Open Champion Retief Goosen of South Africa, former Open Champion Paul Lawrie of Scotland and two time Masters Champion José Maria Olazábal of Spain, three of the game’s elite golfers having triumphed in a Major Championship, headline the impressive field ready to pit their skills against the Arnold Palmer-designed course.

Goosen won the US Open Championship in both 2001 and 2004 and also topped The European Tour Order of Merit in 2001 and 2002. Lawrie secured his place in golfing history with a magnificent victory in the 1999 Open Championship at Carnoustie, overcoming a ten stroke deficit in the final round before winning in a four hole play-off, while Olazábal won the Masters Tournament at Augusta National in 1994 and 1999.

Olazábal has also played in seven Ryder Cups, most recently at The K Club last September where Europe won by a record equalling nine point margin, and the Spaniard will be joined in Portugal by four of his European team-mates from that memorable match in Ireland, namely Darren Clarke, David Howell, Paul McGinley and Lee Westwood, who is in fine form having won twice on The 2007 European Tour International Schedule, at the Valle Romano Open de Andalucia in May and The Quinn Direct British Masters in September, to take his victory haul to 15 European Tour titles.

A host of other winners from the 2007 season will also be in action, including the English duo of Justin Rose, who captured the MasterCard Masters in Australia for his third European Tour title and Nick Dougherty, who triumphed over an international gathering to claim the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship at St Andrews last week.

Other 2007 winners in action in Vilamoura include the English duo of Ross Fisher and Graeme Storm, Scotland’s Marc Warren, Frenchmen Grégory Havret and Raphaël Jacquelin and the Spanish trio of José Manuel Lara, Pablo Martin and Alvaro Quiros, all ably supported by their compatriot and 13 time European Tour winner Miguel Angel Jiménez, who will make the short journey across the border from his home in Malaga.

The distinctively ponytailed Jiménez is popular with the crowds wherever he plays but he will not be the most fervently supported player in the Portugal Masters, that honour undoubtedly going to local favourite José-Filipe Lima.

The 25 year old won the 2004 Aa St Omer Open but at that time was still representing France, having been born in Versailles. But with both his parents Portugese, Lima opted to change nationality at the end of the 2004 season and has not looked back, improving his Order of Merit position in both 2005 and 2006, and also representing Portugal in the 2005 World Cup alongside Antonio Sobrinho.

“My mother and father are both Portugese and I love this country, that is why I made the change,” said Lima, who will aim to become only the second Portuguese winner in European Tour history after Daniel Silva who won the 1992 Jersey European Open. “It is important to play for yourself in golf, obviously, but it is also important to play for your family.”

As well as the established stars, the Portugal Masters will also welcome some of the most exciting new talents on The European Tour, including the swashbuckling Argentine Andres Romero, who came within a whisker of claiming the Open Championship at Carnoustie before winning the following week in the Deutsche Bank Players’ Championship of Europe at Gut Kaden in Germany.

The Portugal Masters will be the first tournament to be played at the Oceânico Victoria Golf Club, Vilamoura, since the 2005 World Cup in Portugal and the Welsh duo of Stephen Dodd and Bradley Dredge, who memorably triumphed on that occasion, will both return.
 
A field of 126 players will compete for the €3 million prize fund with a first prize of €500,000.  The Portugal Masters further enhances Portugal’s commitment to The European Tour, with the country already having hosted two other tournaments on The 2007 European Tour International Schedule, the Madeira Islands Open BPI, won by Argentina’s Daniel Vancsik, and the Estoril Open de Portugal, won by Spain’s Pablo Martin.

Portugal’s tourism golf strategy was unveiled today with The European Tour playing an integral part in the plan. Three events on The European Tour International Schedule will be hosted by Portugal this year.

Government ministers and representatives of the Portuguese Golf Federation met with officials from The European Tour at Victoria Clube de Golfe, Vilamoura, which will host the inaugural Portugal Masters from October 18-21. A €3 million prize fund will be on offer with a first prize of €583,333.

Bradley Dredge, who partnered Stephen Dodd in Wales’ impressive victory in the 2005 WGC – World Cup in Portugal over the Victoria Course, was present to lend his support to the tournament.

The far-reaching strategy to boost tourism across the country will include the Portugal Masters, the Madeira Island Open at Santa da Serra from March 22-25 and the Open de Portugal, to be played at Oitavos Golfe in Estoril the following week, along with events on the European Seniors and the Challenge Tours.

Representing the Portuguese Government were Manuel Pinho, Economy Minister of Portugal, Laurentino Dias, Sports Secretary of State and Bernardo Trindade, Tourism Minister of State.

The launch marked the signing of three agreements with The European Tour, firstly with the Instituto de Turismo de Portugal (ITP), represented by Luís Patrão, the ITP Chief Executive. The Host Venue Agreement made with  Lusotur, the owners of Victoria Clube de Golfe, was signed by António Henriques da Silva, Executive Director of Lusotur Golfes S.A & João de Deus Pinheiro, Lusotur Golfes' Executive President, while the third with the Portuguese Golf Federation  was signed by its President Manuel Agrellos.

Keith Waters, Director of International Policy for The European Tour, said: “The European Tour is honoured to have the opportunity to stage the inaugural Portugal Masters at the Victoria Course, Vilamoura.  With the addition of this new event, there are now three events in Portugal on the 2007 Tour schedule. 

“We would like to thank ITP for their significant financial support of these golf tournaments and the Tour intends to reward that support by delivering real commercial return through tourism on that investment.  The Tour views the relationship with ITP as a partnership that will be mutually beneficial to both parties.

“We are excited by the prospects of this new event being extremely successful over the next three years.  There are a number of ingredients in place that suggest this event will be immediately successful.

“The Tour would also like to thank the Portuguese Golf Federation and Manuel Agrellos for all their support and the opportunity, as part of this wider relationship with the Tourist Board, to promote, manage and stage the Open de Portugal at Oitavos in April.”

Source: http://www.europeantour.com