PGA TOUR Champions brings new global tournament to Ernie Els’ Vilamoura course
– August 8, 2025
The Algarve’s reputation as a world-class golf and leisure destination is set to grow even further with the unveiling of the Portugal Invitational, a new PGA TOUR Champions event launching in summer 2026. All three rounds of the tournament will be televised on GOLF Channel, the exclusive cable-television partner of the PGA TOUR Champions, further boosting the region’s visibility.
Officials from PGA TOUR Champions, Arrow Global Group, Turismo de Portugal, and Turismo do Algarve announced in July a five-year partnership to host the new professional golf tournament in Portugal, and the event is seen as “a historic milestone for the Algarve and for Portugal. The partnership with PGA TOUR Champions further raises our destination’s international profile and confirms the Algarve as an essential reference point in European golf,” shared André Gomes, President of the Algarve Tourism Board.
Set to take place from July 31 to August 2 2026, the Portugal Invitational will be hosted at the Els Club Vilamoura – a course designed by Ernie Els, who said tournament potential was always part of the vision behind the project. Ernie is a seven-time PGA TOUR Champions winner and World Golf Hall of Fame member. Formerly the Victoria Golf Course, it has previously hosted the Portugal Masters and welcomed major winners including Shane Lowry and Padraig Harrington.
The event will bring some of the most iconic names in golf to Portugal, including Hall of Famers, PGA TOUR Champions players and stars from the Legends Tour, all competing for a $3 million purse.
At the announcement, PGA TOUR Champions President Miller Brady described it as an “exciting, first-of-its-kind PGA TOUR Champions event in Portugal”. He shared his enthusiasm for bringing the competition to the country and highlighted how the Tour continues to offer fans around the world the chance to see golf legends up close in Vilamoura.
John Calvão of Arrow Global described the event as a “major step” in their long-term vision to position Portugal as “one of the best global golf and lifestyle destinations”. The group has already made extensive investments in Vilamoura, with upgraded hotels and golf courses, a completely renovated marina, luxury real estate, and equestrian facilities.
The tournament is also being hailed as a regional milestone by national and local tourism boards. Carlos Abade of Turismo de Portugal noted that PGA TOUR Champions’ arrival is a natural next step in Portugal’s rise as a host for world-class sporting events, and André Gomes of Turismo do Algarve highlighted the broader impact, calling it a reflection of the region’s ambition to be a year-round tourist destination with global appeal, with the Algarve already being Portugal’s leading golf destination for decades, with around 1.5 million rounds played annually.
Article originally published on Essential Algarve.
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