Quinta do Lago, the luxury resort in the Algarve, hosted its first tournament in memory of Tiago Sousa on August 16. The Paul McGinley Academy golfer tragically lost his life in an accident along with 5 of his teammates and coach on March 15, 2022, when returning from a university golf tournament in the United States.
The event, which took place for all the families, counted 108 players, the youngest aged 7 and the oldest over 60. The players came from various countries such as Ireland, Scotland, England, South Africa, Portugal and even two players from Canada, one of them a survivor of the accident.
The funds raised will be used to start the “Tiago Sousa Golf Project” – a project created in collaboration with the Portuguese Golf Federation, which aims to provide golf professionals with the opportunity to bring school children closer to the game of golf.
For Sean Moriarty, CEO of the resort, “this tournament was a way for Tiago to continue to contribute to helping kids with his legacy and remembering the passion he had for this fantastic sport.”
Kenneth Starreveld, the event organiser, says: “We want to thank Quinta do Lago for supporting us and giving us the opportunity to organise this 1st Memorial Golf Tournament for Tiago. We are happy and proud with the result of the event; with 108 players for the first year, it is incredible. The support we received from Quinta do Lago was amazing, as well as from our sponsors (One Greenway, Hilton Hotels, Designer Outlet Algarve and Ecco shoes and many more) who made a difference by creating something unique, not forgetting Paul McGinley, and the Golf Academy.
“This event showed us that Tiago’s memory and the extent of his passion for this sport will live forever. We couldn’t be more proud of the result, and every minute we dedicated to this event was a pleasure to keep Tiago’s memory alive. The good news is that we will be back next year. With the team, Quinta do Lago and the rest, we have created a great new event that will last for years”, says Kenneth Starreveld.
The resort’s mission to help and make a difference is very much present at the resort, and that is why, on August 27, there will be another Q Care Golf Tournament, this time a thank you to all the firefighters who work tirelessly to keep everyone safe from forest fires. This tournament aims to raise funds to help local entities in their fight against future forest fires in the Algarve and the south of the Alentejo.
The tournament is for teams of four players; the entry fee is €1000, and it will be played on Quinta do Lago Sul course – chosen as the best course in Europe at the World Golf Awards and awarded this year as the best course in Portugal by Publituris.
The Q Care Programme is Quinta do Lago’s social responsibility programme and has been a primary focus of the resort. Sean Moriarty says, “This project does not exist to gain recognition, but to define the mentality of the resort.”
