Tomás Ribeiro delivered a standout performance for Portugal, winning the Italy Open Pitch & Putt at the Florinas Golf course in Sardinia. The national team achieved an excellent overall result, with Hugo Espírito Santo and Arnaldo Paredes both finishing inside the top five.
The event brought together 71 players competing across three rounds of 18 holes on one of the toughest courses in the circuit. After posting scores of 53 (-1) and 56 (+2) on Saturday, Ribeiro began the final round tied for second with Spain’s Cesar Crespo, three strokes behind home favourite Giacomo Meloni.
In what he described as the most difficult course he has ever played, the 23-year-old Portuguese international from Paredes Golf Club held his nerve on Sunday with another 56, clinching victory by a single shot. His total of 165 (+3) edged out Crespo, who finished on 166 (+4).
“I’m very happy. It was the first time I won an individual event while representing the national team, and it feels even more special to share this moment with all the Portuguese players who were here,” Ribeiro said after the win. The victory also came on the eve of his 23rd birthday, adding a personal touch to a memorable weekend.
Ribeiro had already been runner-up in last year’s edition of the Italy Open, won by Italy’s Andrea Fusco. Earlier this season, he claimed the Portugal Open Pitch & Putt and helped Paredes Golf Club secure the national club championship just a week before this latest triumph.
In Sardinia, Hugo Espírito Santo from Quinta das Lágrimas finished third after a superb closing round of 52, the lowest score recorded in the entire tournament, for a total of 168 (+6). Giacomo Meloni slipped to fourth with 169 (+7), and Arnaldo Paredes, also from Quinta das Lágrimas, secured fifth place with 171 (+9).
This outstanding performance once again underlines Portugal’s growing strength in international Pitch & Putt golf, both individually and as a team.
