They say the finest sportsmen produce their best form when it matters most, and Ricardo Santos certainly proved he is a man for the big occasion when he stormed to victory in the Madeira Islands Open – Portugal with a magnificent 63 in the final round.
Starting the day four shots off the lead held by Carlos Del Moral, the 29 year old ruthlessly slashed the Spaniard’s advantage with four birdies in his first eight holes, leaving him neck and neck with a surging Andreas Hartø for much of the back nine.
While his fellow competitors faded, however, Santos turned the screw, posting two more birdies at the 12th and 13th holes to move into the lead before producing a finale the best golfers in the world would be proud of. A birdie at the 16th was followed by another gain at the par three 17th where he holed a snaking 40ft putt to all but guarantee victory. -----
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