Staff WriterThe Open de Portugal returns to Royal Óbidos this week, and for home favourite Pedro Figueiredo, the stakes couldn’t be higher. The 34-year-old Lisbon native is eyeing a late-season charge up the Road to Mallorca Rankings and a long-awaited promotion back to the DP World Tour.
Figueiredo arrives with momentum, stringing together three consecutive top-20 finishes on the HotelPlanner Tour, including strong showings at the Vierumäki Finnish Challenge, The Dutch Futures and the GAC Rosa Challenge Tour. Those results have nudged him up to 37th in the standings—still 17 places shy of the coveted graduation spots, but close enough to smell them.
“I’ve been playing well the last four weeks,” he said. “I’ve had some good results and the last couple of tournaments I was leading after two rounds and 45 holes. I haven’t finished those off, but I feel like the game is in good shape and this week would be a good one to pull it off.”
Chasing History on Familiar Ground
If Figueiredo is to make that push, there’s no better stage than the Open de Portugal. He’s been a regular fixture at Royal Óbidos since the tournament moved here in 2020, his best finish a tied-18th that same year. It’s not quite the résumé of a man who owns the place, but it’s enough to know the quirks of Portugal’s windswept Silver Coast.
“It’s always windy out here so hitting low shots will be key, which I am really comfortable with so that could play in my favour,” he explained. “I always use the mini driver off the ground so that could be a good shot to have too. My record has been consistent around this course, but I haven’t finished inside the top five or top ten so far. I need to up those results a little bit. The key here is the iron play to the greens with the greens being well protected with lots of water.”
A Fond Farewell to Royal Óbidos
This year also carries a touch of sentimentality. The Open de Portugal is waving goodbye to Royal Óbidos after six straight editions, and Figueiredo, who claimed his lone HotelPlanner Tour victory back in 2018, isn’t hiding his affection for the venue.
“Royal Óbidos is a great venue,” he said. “It’s been here for six years now, and it’s always been in great shape. Unfortunately, this will be the last year here at Royal Óbidos, but I think we are very thankful for the past six years here in this area. I don’t think I have any added pressure this week but there’s a bit more excitement with there being lots of people coming to watch.”
Strong Field Awaits
Figueiredo won’t have it all his own way. The Open de Portugal field is stacked, headlined by Road to Mallorca Number One David Law, two-time DP World Tour winner Eddie Pepperell, and the HotelPlanner Tour’s most recent champion, Hugo Townsend.
For Figueiredo, who tees off at 8:23am on Thursday alongside Law and James Morrison, the mission is clear: keep putting himself in the mix.
“I think I need to keep putting myself in that position,” he said. “The more you do that, the more comfortable you will feel in that position at the top of the leaderboard. I’ve played this event many times and never really been close to winning it but to do it this week would be really special.”
Royal Óbidos will test every nerve, club, and gust-battered swing. But if Figueiredo’s words are anything to go by, this might just be the week Portugal gets the homegrown story it’s been waiting for.
