Tommy Fleetwood has not played the Portugal Masters since 2016 but arrived at Vilamoura’s Victoria Golf course as part of his US Open preparations. Picture by GETTY IMAGES

TOMMY Fleetwood is teeing it up at the Portugal Masters, on the Algarve, for the first time since 2016.

And the Ryder Cup star is excited to be back at a regular European Tour event after the four-month hiatus due to coronavirus.

Fleetwood played every edition of this event between 2012 and 2016. And the World No. 16 is looking to become the third Englishman in succession to lift the trophy at Dom Pedro Victoria Golf course, come Sunday.

A win for the Lancashire ace on the Algarve would see him follow compatriots Tom Lewis and last year’s winner Steven Brown, before heading to next week’s US Open, at Winged Foot.

Fleetwood said: “It’s great coming back and seeing everybody that you have played with for a long, long time.

“The European Tour definitely, for us that have grown up on the Tour, it has a beautiful atmosphere to it.

“Obviously, we are in a bubble right now. But as soon as you come back it has a feel about it that is really, really nice.

“The Portugal Masters was an ideal opportunity to get some competitive golf in and come back on the European Tour.

“I have never had a run at the tournament. But I have always enjoyed coming here.

“I think the hotel is great. The course is different this year – there is a bit of rough up – so it is a tougher test.

“But I just think it was the perfect scenario for me,” added Tommy, who has five European Tour wins to his name since turning pro in 2010.

“I haven’t played particularly great for a few weeks and I have gone back and worked on a few things,” Fleetwood admitted.

“I have always preferred getting to Majors early. But this year clearly things are very different and things change and get thrown out the window.

“I have never ever been to a tournament where I haven’t wanted to win and this week is exactly that.

“I want to go out this week and compete absolutely. But I think you gain from certain shots you hit, and you only figure those things out by playing competitively.”

Steven Brown rescued his European Tour card by winning his last event of 2019 on the Algarve at the Portugal Masters in Vilamoura. Picture by GETTY IMAGES

Brown feels a lot calmer for defence

WENTWORTH’S Brown is also in the Algarve field this week alongside fellow former winners Lucas Bjerregaard, from Denmark, Frenchman Alex Levy and Spain’s Alvaro Quiros.

Brown could not have been under more pressure then, requiring at least a fifth-place finish to secure his card, and ultimately taking the title in 2019.

The Surrey pro enters the week in a much more relaxed mindset after capturing his maiden European Tour title in Vilamoura, last season.

Brown said: “It’s nice to be back and see my picture up on the wall with the other previous champions.

“This season is very different, with different feelings from last year when I was in a tough spot trying to keep my card.

“I feel a lot more chilled than last time. Hopefully I can produce the same sort of stuff,” said Brown, who had the same coach as a junior as Ross Fisher at Wentworth.

“I did a lot of work in the off-season and then the second off-season during lockdown. It’s starting to pay-off.

“My putting has been up and down, which is why my results have been the same. But my ball-striking is consistent.

“I had a week off before The Belfry. I’m always a bit rusty the first week, but played really well in tough conditions last week at Valderrama.

“I feel like I’m in a good spot coming here.”

American John Catlin, wants to add a second European Tour to his win at Valderrama last week as quickly as possible after arriving on the Algarve. Picture by GETTY IMAGES

Latest winner Catlin wants more victories

THE newest European Tour winner is also teeing it up in the 14th edition of the Portugal Masters.

American John Catlin is already aiming to add to the title he won last week, at the Estrella Damm NA Andalucia Masters, at a very tough Valderrama.

“Playing with some of the best players, like Martin Kaymer, a former World No. 1, all the way down the stretch to the last hole. Being able to hold him off is something I’ll always remember.

Catlin, who denied Martin Kaymer his first win in six years, said: “I’ve won many times as a pro. But winning that one is the biggest win for me for sure.

“My goal now is multiple wins. We’re always trying to win. Once you win one, you want to win two.

“It was the same for me on the Asian Tour. I won one and I wanted to win two. then I won two and I wanted to win three.

“I guess you become a little bit greedy in a sense. That’s my next goal, to win again.”

Bjerregaard: ‘Life on European Tour a lot different now’

BJERREGAARD was the winner three years ago. He said: “I think this is the first time since I’ve been on Tour that my wife isn’t here with me.

“So it’s a bit strange, but I’ve always enjoyed coming here. I got the win in 2017 and had a couple of decent results.

“Normally there is not a lot of rough around here, which suits me. That’s changed a bit this year.

“That will be fun. It will be a different course to what we have seen the last few years.

“The wind is up today. If it stays like that I think we’ll see some different scores than we are used to.

“It’s just a great vibe here. The weather is nice, great food. It’s not a bad place at all to come,” said the winner of the Danish Amateur title in 2007 and 2008, who was crowned European Amateur Champion in 2010.

Iberian Swing to continue Golf For Good charity work

THIS week is the second of three tournaments in the “Iberian Swing” as the European Tour continues the practice of grouping tournaments in regional clusters where possible.

It follows two dual-ranking events in Austria and the six-event “UK Swing” since the resumption of the 2020 Race to Dubai.

This week also sees the continuation of the European Tour’s Golf For Good initiative, on the Algarve.

Vilamoura World and the European Tour have teamed up to donate €200 for every birdie and €500 for every eagle scored on the par five 17^th at Dom Pedro Victoria Golf Course.

The proceeds will be split between two local charities – Existir and APEXA – and EDGA (European Disabled Golf Association).

•For live scores from the Portugal Masters click here.

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Seve Ballesteros designed the Royal Óbidos course which will host the Portugal Open

THE Open de Portugal at Royal Óbidos will return to the European Tour schedule in September. It will form an Iberian Swing along with the Andalucia and Portugal Masters.

The Portuguese Open will now become a dual ranking event when it is staged at the Seve Ballesteros-designed Royal Óbidos course, from September 17-20.

It will be the third event in the new Iberian Swing, following the Estrella Damm NA Andalucia Masters at Valderrama and the Portugal Masters.

The Portugal Open was already confirmed as part of the European Challenge Tour’s Road to Mallorca for a third consecutive year. It will now return to the European Tour for the first time since 2017.

The announcement follows the strategy of playing events on the reshaped 2020 Race to Dubai in regional clusters.

The Andalucia Masters will be played at the Spanish course in Sotogrande from September 3-6, while the Portugal Masters returns to Dom Pedro Victoria Golf Course, in Vilamoura, from September 10-13.

The 58th edition of the historic event will be promoted by the Portuguese Golf Federation and moves to Royal Óbidos Spa & Golf Resort for the first time. There will also be an increased prize fund of €500,000.

First played in 1973, the tournament boasts an impressive list of winners including Sam Torrance in 1982 and 1983, Colin Montgomerie in 1989, Miguel Angel Jiménez in 2004 and Thomas Bjørn in 2010.

Wallace won in Portugal in 2017

HERTFORDSHIRE’S Matt Wallace claimed the first of his four European Tour wins the last time the Open de Portugal was part of the Race to Dubai in 2017.

It propelled the Moor Park golfer, who had been playing on the Alps Tour after turning pro, up the rankings.

The win became part of his three wins in 12 months that almost pushed him into Europe’s 2018 Ryder Cup team when he won a play-off at the Made in Denmark tournament.

Since then Australia’s Dimitrios Papadatos and Poland’s Adrian Meronk claimed their first Challenge Tour victories in Portugal, in 2018 and 2019 respectively.

Ben Cowen, the European Tour’s deputy chief operating officer, said: “In planning the reshaped 2020 Race to Dubai, part of our measured approach has been to play, where possible, in clusters in one region or territory.

“Adding the Open de Portugal at Royal Óbidos as a dual ranking event creates a three tournament ‘Iberian Swing’ for players on the European Tour, and delivers further good news for Challenge Tour members as the event remains on the Road to Mallorca for a third consecutive season.

“We are grateful to our partners at the Portuguese Golf Federation and Royal Óbidos Spa & Golf Resort for working with us to feature this event on both the Challenge Tour and European Tour.”

Portuguese Golf Federation president Miguel Franco de Sousa said: “We are very happy to secure another dual ranking Open de Portugal which moves to Royal Óbidos for the next three years.

“This region offers a variety of courses making it a very interesting golf destination in Portugal.

“We believe that Royal Óbidos, a Seve Ballesteros design, will be a good test of golf for both European and Challenge Tour players.

“This event shows our strong commitment to work closely with the European Tour in order to promote Portugal as one of the best golf destinations in the world, on one hand and, on the other, to provide playing opportunities to our playing professionals, especially in this difficult season with very few tournaments being played.”

Royal Óbidos will stage the Open de Portugal which will be a dual ranking European and Challenge Tour event as part of the new Iberian Swing, in September.

Tour returned to action in Austria

THE European Tour returned this week with the Austrian Open, the first of two dual-ranking events in Austria, followed by the Euram Bank Open.

The new six-event UK Swing follows in July and August before the action moves to Spain and Portugal.

All tournaments in the reshaped 2020 season will be governed by the Tour’s comprehensive Health Strategy, which has been developed by chief medical officer Dr Andrew Murray.

The strategy was drawn up in consultation with health care specialists Cignpost and advisers in many of the 30 countries in which the European Tour plays.

They will also be underpinned by the new ‘Golf for Good’ initiative which aims to support communities where the European Tour plays.

It rewards true heroes, such as frontline workers, and will promote the many health benefits that golf offers, the Tour said.

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