The Els Club Hosts First PGA TOUR Champions Tournament In Portugal

QUARTEIRA, PORTUGAL – NOVEMBER 22: A general view of the par 3, fourth hole at The Els Club Vilamoura on November 22, 2025 in Quarteira, Portugal. (Photo by David Cannon/Getty Images)

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The PGA TOUR Champions tees off in Vilamoura, Portugal, at The Els Club this week, marking the first time the tour has visited the country.

“We are thrilled to partner with Arrow Global Group, Turismo de Portugal, Turismo do Algarve and Ernie Els to announce this exciting, first-of-its-kind PGA TOUR Champions event in Portugal,” said PGA TOUR Champions President Miller Brady in a PGA Tour interview. “This Tour is a global showcase of the game’s legendary players, and we know the great golf fans in Portugal and throughout Europe will welcome the opportunity to watch them compete in person at The Els Club Vilamoura.”

The inaugural event is being played on a tournament-tested course, having hosted the Portuguese Masters from 2007 to 2022, with notable former winners including Shane Lowry and Pádraig Harrington.

The course, set on a fairly flat piece of property, winds in and out of waste areas and around numerous water hazards, particularly on the back nine, where water comes into play on five of the nine holes.

“Whenever our firm designs a golf course, we always have an eye on what makes it a successful tournament venue, so this was always a big part of our plans for The Els Club Vilamoura,” said Els in a PGA Tour article . “It’s wonderful to see those plans now coming to fruition, and we’re grateful to PGA TOUR Champions President Miller Brady, the team at Arrow Global Group, Turismo de Portugal and Turismo do Algarve for sharing our vision and bringing this exciting new tournament here.”

The course, formerly known as the Victoria Course, served as the host venue for the Portuguese Masters before being redesigned and rerouted by Ernie Els. It reopened for play following the renovation in July 2025. The changes focused on preparing the course for championship golf. In addition to the course renovations, the facilities were upgraded with a new clubhouse, luxury dining, private members’ locker rooms, a driving range and a putting green.

The Els Club begins with a welcoming opening par four featuring a generous fairway. Strategic bunkering on both sides challenges players at key driving distances, depending on wind direction and speed. There is little water in play on the front nine as the course winds through native grasslands, requiring players to shape shots both ways to best navigate the doglegs and approach shots.

The first encounter with water comes at the opening par three 4th hole, where a small pond guards the front of the green. The relatively short hole should pose little difficulty for the tour’s accomplished players.

The back nine takes on a much different character. The 10th features water running the entire length of the right side, extending to protect the front, right and rear of the green. The 11th has a bifurcated fairway that first plays to the left of the water, then shifts to the right before returning to the left near the green.

Holes 16 and 17 also feature water along the right side. The par-4 16th requires players to negotiate water that borders the fairway before carrying it to a raised green. The 17th is a long par three with a deep putting surface and water lining the entire right side.

The top four players in the PGA TOUR Champions Charles Schwab Cup standings—Stewart Cink, Zach Johnson, Pádraig Harrington and Boo Weekley—are in the field for the tournament’s inaugural edition. Course architect Ernie Els, currently ranked seventh in the standings, is also competing.

The Els Club Vilamoura, through an agreement between Arrow Global Group, Turismo de Portugal, Turismo do Algarve, the local council and the PGA TOUR, will host the tournament for the next five years.

The tournament debuts with a $3 million purse and will be broadcast in the United States on Golf Channel.