The PGA Tour Champions is heading to Portugal next year with a new event that marks the first PGA Tour-sanctioned stroke play tournament in the country. The Portugal Invitational will run from July 31 to August 2 as part of a five-year partnership.
The tournament creates an appealing European swing for players. They can now compete in the Senior Open the week before, stay for the Portugal Invitational, and then continue on to the Senior PGA Championship on the Legends Tour the following week.
The Els Club Vilamoura will host the event, featuring a $3 million purse and a 78-player field drawn from both the PGA Tour Champions and the European Legends Tour.
Ernie Els, who redesigned the course, is enthusiastic about the venue. “The players are going to love it, not just the golf course but this whole destination,” Els said. “It’s such a beautiful part of the world.”
The course has a solid tournament pedigree, having previously hosted the Portugal Masters from 2007 through 2022. Portugal also welcomed the World Cup of Golf back in 2005.
