Zach Johnson Captures Inaugural Portugal Invitational At The Els Club

QUARTEIRA, PORTUGAL - AUGUST 2: Zach Johnson of the United States lines earlier plays his 3rd changeable connected the 18th spread during the last information of the Portugal Invitational 2026 astatine The Els Club Vilamoura connected August 2, 2026 successful Quarteira, Portugal. (Photo by Octavio Passos/Getty Images)

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Zach Johnson won the inaugural Portugal Invitational by 2 shots complete Stewart Cink astatine the Els Club successful Vilamoura, Portugal.

Johnson began the last information 1 changeable down a trio of leaders. Rory Sabatini, Stewart Cink, and Padraig Harrington each started the time tied for first spot astatine 13-under par.

"I sewage disconnected to the dream start, and I really felt for illustration the putt going successful connected 7 was key. I had a mates of putts that lipped successful that could person lipped out, and that was the difference," Johnson said successful an article published by the BBC.

Johnson opened his information pinch 3 consecutive birdies. He added birdies connected the 7th and 9th holes to sprout 5-under par connected the beforehand 9 and surge into the lead heading to the backmost nine. Cink bogeyed the 2nd spread of the day, dropping retired of the lead.

Cink mounted a complaint connected the backmost nine, shooting 3-under par and remaining successful contention until Johnson sank a agelong birdie putt connected the last spread to seal the victory.

"Birdieing 7 was astir apt the 1 that really perfectly kickstarted it because I would reason that's astir apt the hardest spread today. But I deed 2 of the champion shots I've deed consecutively and managed to make a putt," Johnson said successful Golfweek. "I hadn't looked astatine a leaderboard, that was my game. I mean, the measurement I spot it, being successful contention really doesn’t commencement till the backmost nine, if you will."

The 7th spread classed arsenic the toughest connected the people during the tournament. The 478-yard par 4 yielded only 4 birdies successful the last information and played 0.312 strokes complete par. The spread mildly bends from correct to left, pinch fairway bunkers staggered on some sides. It gradually rises to a somewhat elevated green.

"Our big Ernie is each class, and what he has done pinch this installation is truthful impressive. It’s awesome for america pros but besides playable for beginners — and the Algarve mostly is easy to emotion and difficult to leave," Johnson said successful BBC.

For edifice guests, the challenging 7th spread tin beryllium played from much manageable yardages utilizing 1 of 4 sets of tees.

The people is generous disconnected the tee, peculiarly connected the beforehand nine, which features fewer in-play h2o hazards. The backmost 9 is much demanding, incorporating aggregate forced h2o carries connected some tee shots and attack shots.