The Portuguese born brothers Ricardo and Hugo Santos will again be fighting for family pride and also looking to raise the Portugal flag high when the duo tee-up in this week’s Madeira Islands Open.
Ricardo is the younger of two at age 29 and last year lived out a dream in earning a full European Tour card after finishing fourth on the secondary 2011 Challenge Tour money list.
His two year older brother, Hugo competes on the PGA Europe Tour, and enjoyed a career high last year in capturing the PGA of Europe Championship in a play-off in Bulgaria.
The pair teamed together late last year to represent Portugal in the World Cup of Golf on China’s Hainan Island where they shared 20th place in the 28-nation tournament.
Ricardo (l) and Huge Santos. (Photo - www.golfbytourmiss.com)
Both Ricardo, who is attached to the Victoria course at Villamoura, and Hugo, who represents nearby Villa Sol, are no strangers to this week’s Maderia Islands Open.
Ricardo is contesting the event for a seventh occasion with his best finish being last year when he was tied for 10th place.
In contrast, Hugo has struggled in his seven showings in the event in making the halfway cut just once in 2008 when the event was last played on the mountain Santo de Serra course.
So with plenty of local Portuguese support assured this week what are the expectations of the Santos brothers?
“We both know this course very, very well as both Hugo and myself played a lot here as amateurs and early in our professional careers,” said Ricardo.
“The golf however this year is a lot harder than I have known it before as it is completely dry and the greens are very hard and it will be hard to stop the ball on the greens.
“But it will be a tough week for both of us, and also all the Portuguese players, as all the Portuguese supporters will be expecting us to play well and to hopefully win the event.”
Hugo remarked: “It is always very special playing in front of your family, friends and fellow Portuguese, so the good side of what Ricardo was saying is that we also get plenty of support.
“If you start to play good the crowd can help lift you.”
Ricardo has contested 10 events this year in his maiden season with a best result of 10th in the Avantha Masters in India.
He’s currently lying 105th in the Race to Dubai.
And when the question of family rivalry was raised, Hugo remarked that if he can’t win the tournament then he hopes his older brother will succeed.
“There is no real rivalry between Ricardo and myself but if he finishes first then I don’t mind finishing second,” said Hugo.
The Santos brothers got the warm-up they needed ahead of the event with Hugo’s team finishing on 11-under par and Ricardo’s Pro-Am team on 10-under par.
“The amateurs in my team played very well and that’s why we finished on 10-under par,” said Ricardo smiling.
Ricardo tees up on day one at 1.35pm local time in the company of the England pair of Sam Little and former Ryder Cup star, Oliver Wilson.
Big brother Hugo tees up an hour later playing in the company of Portugal amateur Goncalo Pinto and South African Michael Bothma.
