Alexander Levy wins Portugal Masters

• Frenchman wins as event is reduced to 36 holes.
• 75mm of rain fell on Oceanico course over the week.
• Win hands Levy his second European Tour title of the season.
• ‘It’s a nice feeling and I’m very happy’ says the new champ.

Alexander Levy claimed his second European Tour victory of the season after winning the weather-curtailed Portugal Masters in Vilamoura.

The 24-year-old carded rounds of 63 and 61 to take the title by three shots from Belgium’s Nicolas Colsaerts after the tournament was reduced to 36 holes following persistent rain.

Having already been reduced to 54 holes, another deluge on Sunday left parts of the course unplayable shortly after the final group had teed off at 1pm, and the decision was taken a couple of hours later to call the result at 36 holes.

Tournament director José Maria Zamora said: “The forecast for the final round was fine, but after two unexpected very heavy downpours on a course already saturated, it would have taken several hours to make it playable again.

“Over the course of the week we had 75mm of rain, and 12mm this afternoon, and unfortunately we had to curtail the tournament after 36 holes despite the tireless work of the greenkeeping staff.”

The decision handed victory to Levy, who had parred the opening hole of the final round alongside Colsaerts before play was suspended.

“It’s a very nice feeling and I’m very happy.” – Alexander Levy

“It feels very special,” said the Frenchman. “If at the start of the year you had said I would win two tournaments I would say ‘never!’ to you.

“It’s a very nice feeling and I’m very happy. I work hard on this game and I think I played good this week.

“I played only four shots at the weekend and I won the tournament, but the most important thing is I have the trophy in my hand.”

Levy was one of the lucky ones who managed to get his second round completed on Friday meaning he did not play at all on Saturday and he admitted it was a strange feeling to have won after playing only two rounds.

“It’s special,” he added. “Because you are only on 36 holes but after Friday night I knew I would only play 54. But it’s a special feeling at this time.”

Alexander Levy :: A year to remember

Victory in Portugal made Alexander Levy the third multiple winner on the European Tour this season, following Rory McIlroy and Miguel Angel Jimenez. He also became the first Frenchman to record multiple European Tour victories in the same season. He now moves into the top 20 on the Race To Dubai.

Michael McEwan is the Deputy Editor of bunkered and has been part of the team since 2004. In that time, he has interviewed almost every major figure within the sport, from Jack Nicklaus, to Rory McIlroy, to Donald Trump. The host of the multi award-winning bunkered Podcast and a member of Balfron Golfing Society, Michael is the author of three books and is the 2023 PPA Scotland 'Writer of the Year' and 'Columnist of the Year'. Dislikes white belts, yellow balls and iron headcovers. Likes being drawn out of the media ballot to play Augusta National.

Deputy Editor