Portuguese women’s golf just carved out a new piece of history. The national team achieved its best-ever result at the European Ladies’ Team Championship. They finished 14th out of 20 countries. This big event was put on by the European Golf Association (EGA) and the French Golf Federation.
The tournament took place at the famous Par-70 Golf de Chantilly course. This course is about 50 kilometers north of Paris. It has a rich history, hosting the prestigious French Open 11 times between 1913 and 1990.
Top golf nations from across Europe gathered. Teams from Germany to Switzerland competed. Denmark, England, Spain, and Finland were all there. Even tiny Slovenia joined the fray. Portugal was among them, ready to show what they could do.
The competition began with a ‘stroke play’ phase. Teams played against the course, counting their total shots. Portugal finished this first stage in 16th place. They had 749 strokes, which was 49 over Par. Their two rounds were 372 and 377. For the team score, the best five individual results from the six Portuguese players were counted each day.
Finishing 16th meant Portugal qualified for the ‘Second Flight’. This is like a middle division, keeping them out of the race for the top eight spots. The team now aimed for places between 9th and 16th.
This second phase used ‘match play’. Here, players compete directly against each other. Each day, five matches were played. One match was foursomes, where two players hit shots in turn. The other four matches were singles.
Portugal’s amateur team started tough. They lost to Denmark 4-1. This moved them into the bracket fighting for 13th to 16th place. But they bounced back with a strong 3-2 victory over the Czech Republic. This set up a final day match for 13th or 14th place. The team then lost 3-2 to Iceland, securing their final 14th spot.
A higher finish was certainly within reach. The national Under-16 champion, Nicole Sardinha, suffered a knee injury. She could not play on the final day. This meant Portugal started their match already down 1-0. This injury changed the final outcome for sure.
Team coach Miguel Gaspar shared his thoughts on Instagram. He said, “Mega week, at the magnificent Golf de Chantilly course, with the Portuguese stars! 14th place and best Portuguese ranking in history, with the youngest team in the competition! Immense pride in being part of your growth girls, and I will always be there to help you with anything!” Gaspar also travels with top Portuguese players on the European professional tours. Sofia Sá and Inês Belchior have had good results with him.
A New Era for Portuguese Women’s Golf
It’s clear the Portuguese Golf Federation (FPG) is focusing more on women’s golf. This year, Vidago hosted the first Portuguese professional women’s tournament since 2017. That same year, 2017, was the last time Portugal was in the European Ladies’ Team Championship.
This was the 42nd edition of the ‘European Ladies’ Team Championship’. Portugal’s women’s amateur team has not often played in this event. This year marked only their sixth appearance ever. It was also their first time back since 2017. That year, the tournament was held in Portugal, at Montado, in Palmela.
In fact, this was only the third time Portugal played the European Championship abroad. They went to Italy in 1961 and 1993. In 1967 (Penina), 1981 (Troia), and 2017 (Montado), the Portuguese golfers played on home soil.
Some past results might look better on paper. In 1961, Portugal was 8th. In 1967, they were 12th. However, in those years, they always finished last in the overall standings. They also finished last when they were 15th in Troia and 19th at Montado.
The only time Portugal avoided the very last place was in 1993. They finished 17th out of 19 countries in Monza. This year’s 14th place truly marks a significant step forward.
It is interesting to note the team from 1993. It included Patrícia Brito e Cunha, Teresa Abecassis, Isabel Dantas, Branca Ferreira, Graça Medina, and Patrícia Nunes Pedro. Only Patrícia Brito e Cunha (also known as Patrícia Roquette) later became a professional. She returned to this year’s event as one of two FPG board members in France. Miguel Gaspar was the other.
Team Roster and Standout Performances
The players who made history for Portuguese women’s golf with this 14th-place finish were:
- Inês Belchior (Terras da Comporta)
- Francisca Salgado (Vale de Janelas)
- Nicole Sardinha (lives in Miami)
- Francisca Ferreira da Costa (Miramar)
- Amélia Gabin (ADC Quinta do Lago)
- Sofia Barroso Sá (ADC Quinta do Lago)
Sofia Sá was the only player on this team who had competed in the event before. She was part of the 2017 team at Montado. That squad included Leonor Bessa, Sara Gouveia, Leonor Medeiros, Joana Mota, and Beatriz Themudo.
Sofia Sá, who studies and plays in the United States, also set a national record at the European Championship. She achieved an impressive 9th place individually. She was among 120 players. She shot 140 strokes, which was Par for the course. She tied with four other competitors. In 2017, Leonor Bessa had finished 14th, four strokes under Par, among 114 players.
Inês Belchior’s performance deserves special mention. She was the only Portuguese player who remained undefeated in the match play phase. In the initial stroke play phase, she finished 43rd, six shots over Par.
In 2017, Leonor Bessa also went undefeated with one tie and one win. But Inês Belchior did even better. She had two wins and one tie. She first tied with Denmark’s Emma Kaisa Dalgaard Bunch. Then she defeated the Czech Republic’s Sofie Hlinomazova 3/2. Finally, she beat Iceland’s Elsa Maren Steinarsdottir 2/1.
Sofia Sá also shined in the match play duels. She earned two wins and one loss. Francisca Ferreira da Costa also had a strong showing, with one win, one tie, and one loss.
Spain ultimately won the European Championship. They defeated France 4.5-2.5 in the final. Spain had beaten Germany by the same score. Their victory over England was 5-2.
Spain also led the stroke play phase. They were the only country to finish under Par, at -1. An Spanish player also had the best individual score. Andrea Revuelta Goicoechea shot 133 (71+62), finishing seven shots under Par.
This was Spain’s sixth title in 42 editions of the tournament. It was their first win since 2023, when they won in Finland. Before that, ten years had passed since their last trophy in 2013, which they won in England.