Andy DevaneyThere are good final rounds, there are excellent final rounds, and then there is the sort of Sunday performance that leaves everyone else wondering what on earth they were supposed to do about it.
Jean Hugo delivered the latter at the inaugural Portugal Legends Championship, producing a bogey-free, 10-under-par 62 to win by six strokes at Pinheirinho on Portugal’s Alentejo coast.
The South African finished at 20-under-par, comfortably clear of England’s Greg Owen on 14-under, with Sweden’s Johan Edfors another shot behind. It was Hugo’s second victory in three events, having also won the Reignwood Legends Championship in Beijing in October.
And while the winning margin suggests a comfortable afternoon, the final round required rather more nerve than the leaderboard might indicate.
Five Birdies, One Eagle and a Record-Breaking Round
Hugo wasted little time establishing himself as the man to catch.
Five consecutive birdies on the front nine propelled him clear of a field that included overnight leader Paul Lawrie, while an eagle at the 11th gave the South African additional breathing space.
Edfors briefly threatened to make things interesting on the back nine, but Hugo responded with birdies at the 15th, 17th and 18th to complete his remarkable round without dropping a shot.
“I’m delighted to win again,” said Hugo. “I was just trying to manage expectations, be patient and play my own game. I thought I did that quite well today, and at the end of the day that was good enough.
“I was hitting it well early on, and I had good chances on the first couple. I hit it close enough on three, so that was my first birdie. The pin on five was tucked, and I was really hitting it well. I had about three feet on five and about six feet on six. It was nice.”
Perhaps most telling was Hugo’s admission that the course had looked considerably less accommodating earlier in the week.
“When we got here on Tuesday, it didn’t feel like a 62 course. You don’t think about that on the final day, you’re just trying to do your own work. I was just trying to get it over the water on the last, never mind making birdie, so the record is a bonus.”
A course record and a six-shot victory. Not a bad bonus.
Greg Owen Mounts a Challenge but Hugo Stays Clear
For much of Sunday, Owen appeared the likeliest player to challenge Hugo.
Starting the final round at seven-under, the Englishman made four birdies in his opening seven holes to reach 11-under. Further gains at the 11th and 12th kept him in contention, although a bogey at the 15th proved costly.
Birdies at 16 and 18 completed an impressive closing 65 and secured outright second place.
Owen, who won the Barbados Legends earlier in the year, admitted that his driving had deserted him during the final round, although his wedge play and putting helped compensate.
There was also an unusual interruption at the ninth, where Owen reported that a wasp landed on his putter during his backswing, distracting him as he missed a short putt.
Golf has a habit of finding new ways to test a player’s patience.
Nevertheless, another strong finish keeps Owen involved in the Road to Cambodia Order of Merit race, currently led by Scotland’s Stephen Gallacher, who finished tied 13th in Portugal.
Edfors Recovers as Lawrie’s Challenge Fades
Edfors endured an awkward beginning to his final round, dropping shots at both opening holes after reaching Sunday as the only player in the field yet to make a bogey.
The Swede recovered with birdies at the fifth and sixth before producing four consecutive birdies on the back nine, applying pressure to Hugo over Pinheirinho’s demanding closing stretch.
His eventual 13-under total secured third place, one stroke ahead of England’s Andrew Marshall.
Cameron Clark, Robert Coles, Keith Horne and Lawrie were among the players sharing fifth at 11-under.
Lawrie’s presence alongside Hugo on Sunday provided an interesting connection to the South African’s career.
Hugo made his professional debut at the 1999 Open Championship at Carnoustie, the same tournament in which Lawrie famously lifted the Claret Jug.
More than 25 years later, the pair found themselves playing together again in Portugal, although this time it was Hugo collecting the silverware.
Lawrie’s hopes faded as his putting struggled, leaving Hugo to take full advantage.
A Winning Start for Pinheirinho
Beyond the result, the inaugural championship offered competitors their first tournament examination of Pinheirinho, set among the pine trees of Comporta, south of Lisbon.
Hugo was particularly complimentary about the course’s par threes and the opportunities available from the tee, although he acknowledged that trouble awaited players who became too ambitious on the back nine.
Owen was equally positive about the venue and expressed hope that the tournament would become a regular stop on the Legends Tour schedule.
For Hugo, however, the immediate satisfaction was straightforward: another trophy, another outstanding performance and a second victory in the space of three tournaments.
The Staysure Legends Tour now heads to La Manga for the Champions UK European Senior Masters, with the Order of Merit contest continuing to take shape.
For everyone who finished behind Hugo in Portugal, the consolation is that they will at least get another opportunity to compete without having to chase a 62.
