Zach Johnson won the inaugural Portugal Invitational on Sunday, closing with a bogey-free 7-under 65 to secure his fourth PGA Tour Champions title of 2026.

Johnson finished the 54-hole event at 19-under 197, two strokes ahead of Stewart Cink at The Els Club Vilamoura. The 50-year-old began the final round one shot behind the three co-leaders but birdied his opening three holes and did not drop a shot.

His 65 matched Justin Leonard for the lowest round of the day. Johnson posted rounds of 64, 68 and 65 across the tournament, which was the first PGA Tour Champions event staged in Europe.

“This is amazing, Johnson said. “Very special to be the inaugural champion, certainly to be the champion of a tournament that is directly associated with Ernie and Liezl and the whole Els family, obviously The Els Club. I consider Ernie an absolute role model on and off the golf course. To have my name somewhat associated with his is distinctly an honor.”

Adding another one to the collection 🏆 pic.twitter.com/NA8DqggRLX

— PGA TOUR Champions (@ChampionsTour) August 2, 2026

Four wins in a rookie season

Johnson turned 50 in February and made his PGA Tour Champions debut in March. He has since won four times in 11 starts, including three victories in his last four appearances.

His first title came on his debut at the James Hardie Pro Football Hall of Fame Invitational, where he won by four strokes. He later claimed the Principal Charity Classic by the same margin before winning the Kaulig Companies Championship by six.

Johnson is the first player to collect four PGA Tour Champions titles during a rookie season since Pádraig Harrington in 2022. He also joins Cink as the only four-time winner on the circuit this year.

All 11 of Johnson’s starts have ended in the top-10. His other results include a runner-up finish at the Hoag Classic and two third-place finishes, while his worst result was a tie for eighth at the Senior PGA Championship.

The victory keeps him second in the Charles Schwab Cup standings, which Cink has led since winning the season-opening Mitsubishi Electric Championship at Hualalai.

That winning feeling 😎

Zach Johnson caps off his Portugal Invitational win with a birdie on 18. pic.twitter.com/romL4N9dBY

— PGA TOUR Champions (@ChampionsTour) August 2, 2026

Cink finishes second as Sabbatini slips

Cink recorded his third runner-up finish of the season and passed $3 million in annual earnings for the second consecutive year. His 2026 total stands at $3,120,808, making him the 13th player in PGA Tour Champions history to exceed $3 million in a single season.

Harrington finished third, recording his third top-3 result in four starts. The World Golf Hall of Fame member claimed the 2016 Portugal Masters on that same property before Ernie Els later redesigned the course.

Tim O’Neal placed fourth on the eve of his 54th birthday, while Sweden’s Mikael Lundberg tied for fifth to earn his first top-10 finish in 11 PGA Tour Champions starts.

Rory Sabbatini began Sunday as a co-leader but fell to a tie for 13th after a 4-over 76. Tournament host and course designer Els closed with a 68 to finish tied for 17th, extending his run of top-25 results to 10 events.

Johnson and Cink had previously represented the United States together at the 2005 World Golf Championships-World Cup in Vilamoura. Johnson now adds the Portugal Invitational to a career that already includes 12 PGA Tour victories, headed by the 2007 Masters and 2015 Open Championship.

Hear from the champ 🏆

Safe to say Zach Johnson enjoyed his time in Portugal. pic.twitter.com/ZI7wUqh3VW

— PGA TOUR Champions (@ChampionsTour) August 2, 2026

Related: Sotogrande Places Three Courses in Golf Digest’s Spanish Top Six

La Reserva Club has climbed to a career-best sixth place, joining Real Club Valderrama and Real Club de Golf Sotogrande near the head of the national ranking.

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