The Els Club course Vilamoura in Portugal’s Algarve region.
THE PGA TOUR Champions will arrive in Europe for the very first time in 2026 with the inaugural Portugal Invitational, to be played at The Els Club Vilamoura in the Algarve region.
Taking place from 31 July to 2 August, the tournament represents a landmark moment for Portuguese golf, marking the first PGA TOUR-sanctioned individual stroke-play event ever staged in the country and the first PGA TOUR Champions tournament to be held on European soil.
With a prize purse of US$3 million, a field of 78 players will compete on the championship course designed by four-time Major winner Ernie Els.
World Golf Hall of Famers including Els and Colin Montgomerie are among the headline names, joined by Ryder Cup legends Darren Clarke and Miguel Ángel Jiménez, as well as major champions Stewart Cink and Justin Leonard.
Further strengthening an already exceptional lineup are Bernhard Langer, José María Olazábal, Retief Goosen, David Duval, Thomas Bjørn and Ángel Cabrera, creating the strongest senior field ever assembled in Portugal.
Tickets are now available: general admission tickets (Friday 31 July to Sunday 2 August) start from €20, while a three-day pass, valid from Friday to Sunday, is available from €50. Children aged 16 and under are admitted free of charge, with one child permitted per ticketed adult.
Portugal Invitational Pro-Am and hospitality packages are also available, offering the exclusive opportunity to play alongside some of golf’s most prestigious names as they prepare to compete for one of the largest prize funds on the PGA TOUR Champions calendar.
In addition, tailored hotel, golf and tournament hospitality packages provide the perfect opportunity to experience Vilamoura and the Algarve destination in full. For more information, please contact info@portugalinvitational.com.
The tournament will also provide unprecedented international visibility for the destination, with broadcast coverage reaching more than 170 countries and territories through an extensive network of media partners.
The Els Club Vilamoura is the Algarve’s first private members’ club and the only Ernie Els-designed course in Europe. Redeveloped on the site of the former Victoria Course, the layout has been transformed into a modern championship venue that combines strategic design with world-class conditioning and facilities.
The Els Club forms part of Vilamoura Golf, a collection that also includes the Old Course Vilamoura, Pinhal, Millennium and Laguna, four distinctive premium courses that together have helped establish Vilamoura as one of Europe’s leading golf destinations.
Located just 20 minutes from Faro International Airport, the destination benefits from more than 300 days of sunshine each year and a mild Atlantic climate, making golf a year-round proposition.
More than a landmark tournament, the Portugal Invitational is a statement that Vilamoura and the Algarve have firmly earned their place among the world’s great golf destinations.
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Article Link: https://www.insidegolf.com.au/golf-travel/portugal/portugal-invitational-bringing-the-pga-champions-tour-to-the-algarve/