The fourth annual Tiago Sousa Memorial Golf Tournament has raised more than €12,000 for a new project bringing professional golf coaching into local schools in Portugal.
Held on Quinta do Lago’s South Course in August, the family-focused event attracted 88 players and provided funding for the Tiago Sousa Golf Project. The initiative is being developed by the Paul McGinley Golf Academy, Quinta do Lago and the Portuguese Golf Federation.
The project will give local children an opportunity to try golf at school and develop their interest under professional coaches. It extends Quinta do Lago’s established junior programme beyond the Algarve resort and into the surrounding community.
Remembering Tiago Sousa
Tiago Sousa was a member of the Paul McGinley Golf Academy and Junior Club at Quinta do Lago, where he developed his game before pursuing an ambition to become a professional golfer.
He later moved to the United States after earning a college golf scholarship. On March 15, 2022, Sousa died in an accident while returning from a college tournament alongside five teammates and their coach.
The memorial tournament keeps family at the centre of its format. Each team consists of a parent and child, with no age restriction for the child, allowing different generations to compete together.
Callum Burgess, head golf professional at the Paul McGinley Academy, said:
“Tiago was a very special part of the Quinta do Lago family and it is incredibly meaningful to see his love for golf continue to inspire others.
“The vision behind the tournament is to create something positive from Tiago’s legacy.”
Leslie Pair Wins Memorial Trophy
Paul McGinley, the European Ryder Cup-winning captain, hosted the tournament and conducted the prize-giving ceremony.
Kevin and Diego Leslie won the memorial trophy with a gross score of 65. They finished three shots ahead of Ricardo Afonso and Amelia Gabin, who returned a 68 on the South Course.
Burgess said the support shown at the tournament would allow the academy and its partners to begin introducing golf in schools.
“This year’s tournament was a wonderful celebration of Tiago’s memory and the generosity of everyone who supported it,” he said. “We are incredibly proud that the funds raised will now help us take golf into local schools and introduce the game to a new generation.”
Quinta do Lago’s Junior Programme
The project joins a 2026 junior golf schedule that includes coaching camps and the Paul McGinley Junior Cup. Quinta do Lago will also stage the Justin Rose Telegraph Junior Golf Championship final in December.
Junior golf has formed part of the resort’s offering for more than five decades. Its current programme uses the Paul McGinley Golf Academy and three 18-hole championship courses, including the South Course, where the first of eight Portuguese Opens at Quinta do Lago took place 50 years ago.
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Simon Bale
Simon Bale is the publisher of Golf Today. A low single-figure handicap golfer, he was previously a major shareholder and course reviewer for Top100GolfCourses.com for over a decade, starting in 2010. Through this role, he developed extensive knowledge of golf course design and architecture while playing more than 300 courses worldwide.