The final event in the Quinta da Ria / Casinos do Algarve Swing leg of the PGA Europro Tour got underway on Tuesday 10th June at the beautiful Palmares Golf Course in Portugal. Palmares lived up to its reputation with an idyllic still morning followed by a windy warm afternoon which presented players with a stiff challenge.
This challenge was confidently met by Tom Whitehouse (Maxstoke Park), who smashed the course record with an incredible nine under par round of 62. The 23 year old, who won the Peugeot International event on the PGA Europro Tour last month, broke the long standing record of 64 set by Eamonn Darcy seventeen years ago, after stacking up an amazing nine birdies in the first round.
Welshman Kyron Sullivan (Vale of Glamorgan) continued his solid run of form by getting off to a flying start. Having finished second in last week’s event and joint fourth the week before, he shot an impressive five under par score of 66. This score was equalled by Matt King (Toft Hotel) after carding five birdies to leave the pair in joint second place at the end of the first round.
Local star Antonio Sobrinho is well in contention with a 67. This puts him on the same score as the winner of the last tournament, Graham Rankin and former British Amateur Champion, Lorne Kelly, as well as Ian Keenan, Stuart Davis and Iceland’s Bjorgvin Sigurbergsson.
For full results from the first day of play, visit the Palmares event under the Tournaments section.