The European Tour can confirm a further two venues on the 2005 International Schedule. The Open de Portugal Caixa Geral de Depositos will be played at Oitavos Golfe, Quinta da Marinha, Portugal from March 31-April 3, while the Open de España will take place over the old course at the San Roque Club, Cadiz, Spain from April 14-17.
The first three weeks in April promise to be particularly busy for tournament promoters, Amen Corner, who will be organising both the Open de Portugal Caixa Geral de Depositos and the Open de España as well as the Madeira Island Open at Santo da Serra, Madeira, from April 7-10.
Oitavos Golfe is situated 32 kilometres west of Lisbon on the picturesque Portuguese coast and has twice played host to the European Seniors Tour, as well as welcoming the European Challenge Tour last season.
Carl Mason, winner of Seniors Tour Order of Merit for the past two seasons, took the 2003 Estoril Seniors Tour Championship at Oitavos Golfe, before Scotland’’s John Chillas won the same title there last season. England’’s Tom Whitehouse was the best Challenge Tour player at Oitavos Golfe in 2004, the 24 year old winning the Estoril Challenge Open Portugal Telecom to secure his maiden Challenge Tour win last season.
The San Roque Club, meanwhile, has played host to The European Tour Qualifying School Finals on eight separate occasions, including last season when Sweden’’s Peter Gustafsson secured the Number One card.
Along with Turespaña and the Junta de Andalucía, the San Roque Club will be one of the main sponsors of the Open de España, which is one of Europe’’s oldest national Opens having been first contested in 1912. Former winners include the Spanish pair of Severiano Ballesteros and Sergio Garcia, Germany’’s Bernhard Langer and Colin Montgomerie and Sam Torrance, both from Scotland.
The Open de Portugal Caixa Geral de Depositos also has a long and illustrious history. Past Champions of the event, which dates back to 1953, include England’’s Peter Alliss, Montgomerie, Ronan Rafferty from Northern Ireland and Torrance.
