Portugal to Host PGA Champions Tour Event Starting in 2026

Officials from PGA Tour Champions, Arrow Global Group, Turismo de Portugal and Turismo de Algarve have announced a five-year partnership to host a Champions Tour event in Portugal starting in 2026.

The inaugural Portugal Invitational will debut the week of July 27 featuring a field of 78 players, including World Golf Hall of Fame and PGA Tour Champions members, as well as Legends Tour members. The tournament will mark the first PGA Tour–sanctioned individual stroke play event in Portugal.

“Portugal has increasingly become a world-class destination for major international sporting events and welcoming PGA TOUR Champions is a natural next step in that journey,” said Carlos Abade, president of Turismo de Portugal. “This tournament will not only showcase the excellence of our golf courses but also the beauty, culture and hospitality that make Portugal a unique destination year-round. We are proud to be part of this initiative and look forward to welcoming players and fans from around the world to the Algarve.”

The Portugal Invitational will follow the ISPS HANDA Senior Open and precede the Staysure PGA Seniors Championship on the Legends Tour during a three-week swing of European golf. The tournament will be contested at The Els Club Vilamoura, which is designed by Ernie Els, a seven-time PGA Tour Champions winner and World Golf Hall of Fame member.

“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. “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 and Turismo de Portugal and Turismo de Algarve, for sharing in our vision and bringing this exciting new tournament here.”

The newly redesigned Els Club hosted the DP World Tour’s Portugal Masters from 2007 through 2022. Portugal’s only prior hosting of a PGA Tour–sanctioned event came at the 2005 World Cup of Golf.

“Hosting the Portugal Invitational in Vilamoura is a historic milestone for the Algarve and for Portugal,” said André Gomes, president of the Algarve Tourism Board. “This tournament raises the bar and reflects the regional ambition to establish the Algarve as a year-round tourist destination, with a direct impact on the economy, employment and promotion of the region. We are ready to welcome the big names in golf history and show the world everything the Algarve has to offer — on and off the course.”