Fourteen Shots: Yurav Premlall Rewrites the Record Books in Barcelona

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A week that began with a missed cut ended with one of the most dominant performances in DP World Tour history.

Golf has a habit of producing weeks that defy rational explanation. The 2026 Estrella Damm Catalunya Championship at Real Club de Golf El Prat produced one of them.

From Missed Cut to Record Books in Seven Days

Seven days before lifting the trophy in Barcelona, Yurav Premlall had missed the cut at the Turkish Airlines Open by nine shots. Seven days later, the 22-year-old South African had secured the largest winning margin in the history of non-major DP World Tour events — finishing on 28-under par, 14 shots clear of fellow South African Shaun Norris. (Outkick/Fox News)

Yurav Premlall Catalunya Championship 2026 18th Green

That margin was just one shot shy of Tiger Woods’ record at an official DP World Tour event, set at the 2000 US Open — and it surpassed what had previously been the widest margin in a non-major, Colin Montgomerie’s 11-shot victory at the 1989 Portugal Open. (Golf Monthly)

“I have no words. I have worked so hard to get into this position, and it’s so rewarding to finally see the results of it. The last eight or nine months have been such a struggle — and to end up in this position, I’m just so grateful, and it’s a dream come true.”

Yurav Premlall Catalunya Championship 2026 Trophy

Born in Durban in 2003, Premlall made history as a teenager by becoming the youngest amateur ever to qualify for the South African Open, at just 15 years and five months old. The ability was always there. Barcelona confirmed the composure has caught up. (Yardbarker)

A Course With History, and a Week With Meaning

Real Club de Golf El Prat had not hosted a DP World Tour event since the 2015 Open de España, and its return to the calendar carries significance beyond a single week’s play. The Estrella Damm Catalunya Championship kicks off the Road to the 2031 Ryder Cup, following the announcement that Camiral will host the biennial contest — making Spain the first continental European country to do so twice. (Official site)

Spain Real Club Golf El Prat

The week carried a personal dimension too. The opening round coincided with the anniversary of the death of Severiano Ballesteros, with players invited to wear navy blue and white — the colours in which Seve claimed some of his most iconic victories — and the starter acknowledging his anniversary before the first tee shot.

Portugal on the Leaderboard

Two Portuguese players made the cut at El Prat, with Ricardo Gouveia the pick of the pair. Having sat fourth at the halfway stage, he faded slightly over the weekend to finish tied 13th on ten under — a solid result and another encouraging week for a player building quietly consistent form on tour. Daniel Rodrigues closed tied 43rd on five under, a decent return after his breakthrough second place at the Turkish Airlines Open last month. Portuguese golf is in good health.

Why Spain Deserves a Place on Your Golf Calendar

Barcelona is already one of Europe’s great golf-break destinations: courses in fine condition, the climate largely reliable, and a city that makes a compelling case for extending any trip by a day or two. A flagship DP World Tour event — with the Ryder Cup on the horizon — only adds to the momentum.

Spain Golfing Magic

The amateur golfer watching Premlall’s historic final round will have done so with one thought already forming. Whether it’s a long weekend in Barcelona, a week along the Costa Brava, or a wider Spain golf break taking in multiple destinations, Tee Times Golf Holidays can put together the right package — tee times, hotels, and transfers all arranged.

Portugal Shines in Time Out’s Top 10 Most Beautiful Places in the World

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Portugal has a habit of turning up on lists like this. This time, it is Time Out doing the honours — and the Douro Valley has landed in the top five of the world’s most beautiful places.

The List

The magazine’s ranking of 51 destinations was assembled by an international network of travel editors and writers. Each place was selected for its scenic beauty, cultural distinctiveness, and visual impact. The Douro Valley came in at number four, sitting alongside entries from Spain, Indonesia, the United States, and England. Not bad company. (Idealista)

Vale de Oura Vinyards

Why the Douro

The region combines terraced vineyards, a winding river, and historic hillside villages into a composition that is genuinely difficult to rival. The terraces alone — hand-carved into steep mountainsides over centuries — create a visual drama that shifts with every season. At harvest time, the whole valley turns gold.

The Alto Douro Wine Region has held UNESCO World Heritage status since 2001, recognised as a living cultural landscape. That designation matters. This is a place shaped by human hands, yet it never feels anything less than wild.

The Golf

The Douro Valley does not have courses carved into its slopes — the terrain has other ideas — but it sits at the centre of one of Portugal’s most rewarding golfing regions. Porto is the natural base, less than two hours from the valley, and the courses clustered around the city are well worth the journey in their own right.

Oporto Golf Course Seafront

Oporto Golf Club is the oldest in Portugal, established in 1890 by British residents who clearly had their priorities in order. It is a links-influenced course set close to the sea at Espinho, with small, fast greens and a wind that rarely takes a day off. Estela Golf Club, a few kilometres to the north, is cut from similar cloth — a traditional seaside layout with narrow fairways, elevated greens, and the kind of conditions that reward ball-striking over heroics.

For something altogether different, Vidago Palace Golf sits around an hour and a half east of Porto, deep in the Trás-os-Montes hills. Originally designed by Mackenzie Ross in 1936 and rebuilt to USGA specification, it is one of the most characterful courses in the country — a parkland layout set within a grand spa estate, and the sort of place that earns a second visit.

Vidago Golf Course Autumn

A Douro break, then, is not simply a wine trip with a round attached. It is a genuine golf destination with a landscape that happens to be ranked among the four most beautiful on the planet.

Browse our Oporto golf holidays and find the right combination of courses, hotel, and valley time.

Portugal — Still Making Headlines

Rio de Oura Waterfront

The Douro’s recognition is not an isolated moment. At the 2025 World Travel Awards, Madeira was named Europe’s Best Island Destination, Porto took Europe’s Best City Destination, and Lisbon claimed Europe’s Best City Break Destination. Portugal, it seems, is not planning to leave the front page any time soon. (Turismo de Portugal)

For golfers yet to explore the country as a whole, the full range of Portugal golf holidays covers everything from the Algarve south coast to the Atlantic-facing links of the north.

The Douro is beautiful. The golf is excellent. The two rarely need much further convincing.

When 19,000 Golfers Chase One Dream — and Portugal Hosts the Finale

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A tenth edition on new shores

The Porsche Golf Cup World Final has a new home. After nine editions in Mallorca, it came to Portugal — to Penha Longa Atlantic Course and Oitavos Dunes, two of the finest courses in the country. To get here, 71 golfers outlasted nearly 19,000 competitors across 240 qualifying tournaments in 20 countries. Only the best make it to the World Final. This year, the best came to Portugal. (Golf Business News)

Porsche Golf Cup Finalists

A Worthy Stage

Penha Longa Atlantic Course and Oitavos Dunes are two of the most respected layouts in Iberia. Penha Longa climbs and tumbles through forested hillsides west of Lisbon, demanding patience as much as precision. Oitavos Dunes plays along the Atlantic coast with the wind as a permanent third opponent — it consistently ranks among the finest courses in Europe, and on its day it proves the point. Together, they did the occasion full justice.

Germany take the team title

The most coveted prize of the week, the World Final Team Trophy, went to Team Germany for the very first time. They edged out Team Chinese Taipei in second and Team Mexico in third, with all three podium sides honoured at a festive gala on the closing evening. It was a particularly emotional victory — Team Germany had only qualified some three weeks before the event. (Porsche Newsroom)

Germany Porsche Cup Winners

The individual honours

Charlotte Wille of Team Germany took the women’s gross title and contributed decisively to her team’s Trophy win, making her the standout performer of the week. The men’s gross went to Claes Nilsson of Team Sweden, who posted a 3-under-par score on the opening day at Penha Longa and never looked back. (Porsche Newsroom)

More than a scorecard

What distinguishes the Porsche Golf Cup World Final from a standard amateur tournament is the atmosphere surrounding it. A dedicated Players’ Lounge at Penha Longa served as the gathering point between rounds for all 154 guests. Gala evenings, a separate tournament for non-playing guests, and Porsche Cayenne Electric test drives along the coastal roads of the Portuguese Riviera — the week was designed to be remembered long after the scorecards were handed in. (Porsche Newsroom)

Porsche Golf Cup on the Course

What it says about Portugal

The choice of Portugal over Mallorca for the tenth edition was not accidental. The courses here are world-class. Oitavos Dunes consistently ranks among the finest in Europe. Penha Longa offers something rarer still — a genuine test that rewards local knowledge as much as raw talent. When events of this calibre start choosing Portugal, it tells you something.

The Algarve and the Lisbon region between them offer more than 60 courses at every level. Whether you are chasing your own personal final or simply the round of your life, Tee Times Golf Holidays can put together a golf break that delivers.