GolfSixes Cascais, the European Tour’s innovative six-hole knockout event featuring men’s and women’s teams representing 15 different nations, will be accessible on the BBC’s digital channels for the first time this week.

The exciting GolfSixes format was introduced for the first time in 2017, aimed at growing the game and promoting a more accessible way to play the game of golf for kids and adults alike.

Following a hugely successful first two editions at The Centurion Club in England, this year the event moves to continental Europe and the Portuguese coastal resort of Cascais for the first time, with Oitavos Dunes Golf Club playing host this coming Friday and Saturday, June 7-8.

The event will be broadcast live on Sky Sports, and for the first time it will also be available to British viewers on BBC’s digital platforms – BBC Sport website and app, BBC iPlayer on desktop, BBC’s iPlayer app and the connected red button BBC channel.

Former Ryder Cup winners Jamie Donaldson, Stephen Gallacher and Edoardo Molinari are among the European Tour stars in the field while the two female teams include an England Women’s side featuring Meghan MacLaren – who came close to victory in the recent Jordan Mixed Open presented by Ayla, which featured Ladies European Tour, Challenge Tour and Staysure Tour players.

The agreement with BBC digital means the GolfSixes concept – which has been adopted by grassroots golf campaigns across Europe and also featured in the build-up to The 2018 Ryder Cup in Paris – will be accessible to a whole new audience of sports fans in Britain.

Rufus Hack, the European Tour’s Chief Content Officer, said: “GolfSixes has been one of our leading lights in the drive for innovation in golf as we continue to reach out to new audiences, and this agreement with the BBC means this week’s event will be available to an additional audience than those watching on Sky Sports.

“We are committed to growing and developing this format, which has been extremely popular among young people in particular, and we have no doubt fans watching on BBC’s digital channels will enjoy the excitement GolfSixes Cascais provides as nations from across the world – men and women – battle it out for the title.”

This year the Golf Foundation, a registered charity with the aim of bringing golf to young people, has – in association with the European Tour, the R&A, England Golf, Wales Golf and Scottish Golf – launched a GolfSixes League throughout Britain for juniors.

Since May, 24 leagues have been staged across 22 UK regions, involving 112 golf clubs and nearly 1,500 junior golfers. Early results showed that nearly 30% of participants have been girls.

The GolfSixes concept has also been rolled out in England, Denmark, Finland and the Netherlands and qualification events have taken place in those countries, with the winners earning a spot in the GolfSixes Cascais Pro-Am.

Oitavos Dunes is currently ranked 55th in Golf Magazine’s Top 100 Golf Courses in the World and is listed as Portugal’s Number One golf course.

It has hosted the Open de Portugal on four occasions, first in 2005 when Paul Broadhurst emerged victorious, and then in three years in succession in 2007, 2008 and 2009, won by Pablo Martin Benavides, Grégory Bourdy and Michael Hoey respectively.

The exciting two-day tournament is being played over a Friday and Saturday for the first time. With the UEFA Nations League Final and Third-place play-off taking place in Portugal on Sunday June 9, an exciting weekend is in store for Portuguese sports fans and tourists alike.