Tomás Melo Gouveia finishes second despite leading in previous rounds
– February 28, 2025
Englishman Dan Smith claimed victory at the Optilink Tour Championship in Lagos, at Palmares Ocean Living & Golf Resort this Thursday, February 27, defeating Algarve-native Tomás Melo Gouveia – who had been leading in the previous rounds – in a sudden-death playoff on the 10th hole after both finished tied at -10.
Tomás Melo Gouveia was crowned runner-up of the Optilink Tour Championship, whilst Daniel da Costa Rodrigues secured the No.1 spot in the PT Tour 2025 ranking. Tomás Bessa, who returned to competition after almost a year and a half off due to injury, earned the 3rd place, along with Jack Broun.
Bessa, the tournament winner in 2023, shared 3rd place with Jack Boun, with 6 strokes under par, marking his fourth consecutive top-10 finish on the PT Tour. Meanwhile, Daniel da Costa Rodrigues earned his seventh top-10 placement in this 2025 PT Tour season (including a title). ‘Dani’ shared 5th place with Englishman Alexander Ford, on 5 under par. This result was crucial for the Portuguese player – who just recently was competing at a North American university – securing his position as the No.1 in the 2025 PT Tour Order of Merit.
The Final Round
Tomás Melo Gouveia started the final round this Thursday with a two-shot lead, extending it to three, but by the 10th hole, he and Dan Smith were tied at 9 under par. The second nine holes were a very intense battle, with both players matching each other shot for shot, including on the 17th, where they both made birdies.
As they reached the 18th hole, rain and strong winds added to the challenge. In the sudden-death playoff on the 10th hole, both players found the fairway, but whilst Smith landed his approach on the green, Melo Gouveia overshot the green. The Portuguese golfer made a solid chip to within two metres of the flag but missed his putt fora bogey. Smith, needing only two putts to secure par, claimed his fourth international title.
Dan Smith now boasts wins on the Jamega Pro Golf Tour, Clutch Tour, and two on the PT Tour.
Player Reactions
Dan Smith commented on his win: “I played really well for the first nine holes and managed to equalise with [Melo Gouveia]. Then we played the same (…), we both had chances to putt to go ahead but we didn’t manage it and luckily I won in the play-off. His second shot in the play-off was a surprise and after his chip I thought I had a good chance of winning. This victory helps a lot for the season. This is a pre-season where you spend some money. Winning this tournament gives you comfort for the start of the season and takes some pressure off.”
Tomás Melo Gouveia commented: “He played really well all day, I started with a birdie and had a three-shot lead, but the putt was really bad today and I couldn’t get any birdies to put pressure on Dan. He played better and deserved it, and I have to work harder to be better in these situations. I didn’t realise what happened to my second shot in the play-off. I thought I hit a good shot, just a little to the left, I thought the ball was on the green, but it wasn’t and it left me in a very difficult situation. With this rain, ‘skating’ is more complicated and I couldn’t putt.”
Daniel da Costa Rodrigues also shared his thoughts: “It didn’t feel like much today, because I had opportunities to get a better result, (…) but the par for the course today wasn’t bad, the conditions were much more difficult, but the tournament as a whole was very consistent. I made a lot of top-10s, I was very consistent throughout all the tournaments, I stayed mentally very confident. From the first tournament I felt comfortable… until this one.”
The awards ceremony was attended by Sandra Oliveira, councillor for Lagos City Hall, Marco Andrade, director of operations and golf at Palmares Ocean Living & Golf Resort, António Gonçalves, founder of Optilink, Francesco Murdolo, head greenkeeper at Palmares, Gary Harris, director of the PT Tour, and José Correia, promoter of the event and director of the PT Tour.
Rankings, results and prizes
The main and final rankings of the Optilink Tour Championship 2025 and the results of the Portuguese players, after the conclusion of the three rounds:
1st Dan Smith (England), 206 (70+67+69), -10, €3,500. *Victory on the 1st playoff hole*
2nd Tomás Melo Gouveia (Portugal), 206 (67+68+71), -10.
3rd (tied) Tomás Bessa (Portugal), 210 (70+68+72), -6, €1,350.
3rd Jack Broun (England), 210 (69+69+72), -6, €1,350.
5th (tied) Daniel da Costa Rodrigues (Portugal), 211 (70+69+72), -5, €950.
5th (tied) Alexander Ford (England), 211 (68+73+70), -5, €950.
9th Ricardo Santos (Portugal), 213 (68+72+73), -3, €600.
10th (tied) Hugo Camelo (Portugal), 215 (72+71+72), -1, €525.
28th (tied) Vasco Alves (Portugal), 222 (72+75+75), +6.
28th (tied) Hugo Santos (Portugal), 222 (74+73+75), +6.
55th Vasco Silva (Portugal), 154 (76+78+81), +19.
65th (tied) João Costa (Portugal), 268 (90+91+87), +52.
65th (tied) Duarte Reis Ferreira (Portugal/Angola), 268 (93+79+96), +52.