Portuguese player sealed victory with an eagle putt, after thrilling finale at Amendoeira Golf Resort
— August 3
Photos: Nuno Machado
Portuguese golfer Matteo Balzer produced a memorable finish to win the 15th World Kids Golf by Amendoeira Golf Resort earlier this week, sinking an 11-metre eagle putt on the final hole to secure a one-shot victory at the Nick Faldo-designed course in Silves.
Sanctioned by the Portuguese Golf Federation and recognised by The R&A, the international junior tournament came down to a dramatic duel between Balzer and Iceland’s Benjamin Valgardsson, who had shared the overnight lead after topping the leaderboard on the opening day.
Valgardsson appeared to be in control after recording a hole-in-one on the 11th, opening up a three-shot advantage. However, a bogey on the 18th proved costly as Balzer mounted a late comeback, making birdie on the 17th before holing a remarkable eagle putt on the last to finish one stroke ahead.
“It was difficult,” said Balzer after his victory. “Today I felt my putting was really there. It wasn’t my best score, but the putter was absolutely fundamental. When I hit my 3-iron into the final green, I thought, ‘It’s now or never’. After a good drive into the fairway, everything came together, and it turned into one of the biggest putts I’ve ever made.”
The victory marks the biggest achievement of Balzer’s young career. Having previously won the Under-14 title at the tournament in 2023, this year’s success carries added significance as the Under-16/18/21 category counts towards the World Amateur Golf Ranking.
Portuguese players dominate age-group competitions
Portuguese golfers claimed five additional titles across the tournament’s age categories. Ricardo Castro Ferreira, from Estoril Golf Club, continued his impressive rise by winning the Under-12 gross competition with 105 Stableford points. Already champion in the Under-10 category in 2024 and 2025, he became the first player in tournament history to win gross titles in three consecutive years.
National Under-14 champion Nuno Palmares also added another international victory to his season. The Estoril player finished on five over par after three rounds, winning his division by five shots following his triumph earlier this year at the Greatgolf Junior Open by Fundação Luís Figo in Vilamoura.
In the girls’ Under-14 category, Vilamoura Golf Club’s Catarina Sousa Conceição led from start to finish, completing the tournament on 30 over par to secure the title. Her victory follows her Under-12 success at the event in 2023.
Maria Almeida Santos, representing Clube de Golfe do ACP, won the girls’ Under-10 title, whilst Sabrina Crisóstomo, from Vilamoura, claimed the girls’ Under-12 crown with an impressive performance that finished 11 over par across three rounds. Earlier this year, Crisóstomo also won both the Portuguese National Championship and the Andalusia Championship in her age group.
International winners complete strong field
Among the international winners, Leo Stewart, an English player based in Hong Kong, won the boys’ under-10 title, while Spain’s Nicolas Rebossio topped the under-21 category.
The leading female player was Dutch golfer Grace Gordon, who captured the combined girls’ under-16/18 title by nine strokes ahead of China-born Portugal resident Angelina Gao. A talented dual-sport athlete, Gordon has previously won Dutch national under-12 titles in both tennis and golf.
Although Gordon is recognised as the tournament’s leading female champion, her victory does not count towards the World Amateur Golf Ranking because the field did not meet the minimum participation requirements. Balzer, however, receives ranking points for his overall triumph.