The Super Bock Ladies Open, Portugal's flagship professional women's golf event, concluded on 22 October 2026 with a remarkable turnaround at Vidago Palace Golf Course. England's Ellie Gower, 24, entered the final round six strokes behind but closed with 67 (five under par) to claim the title. Her three-round total of 208 (eight under par) beat fellow Englishwoman Billie-Jo Smith by two shots. The Portuguese Golf Federation (FPG) published the official results that day.
Six shots back, one trophy ahead
The tournament ran 20–22 October in Vidago, in the municipality of Chaves in northern Portugal. After 36 holes, Gower was only seventh at three under. Her rounds of 70, 71 and 67 made her the only player among the 84 competitors to break par on all three days. She collected €8,000, with the event offering a total purse of €50,000.
Smith, who opened with a spectacular 64, finished runner-up on 210 (−6). Scotland's Lorna McClymont, the 36-hole leader, slipped to third at five under. Czech amateur Anna Ludvova shared fourth at four under with Norway's Silje Ohma and was the leading amateur.
The victory was Gower's second on the LET Access Series (LETAS). Her first came at the Calatayud Ladies Open in Spain in 2024, where she also defeated Smith, that time in a playoff. Vidago moved Gower from 54th to 20th in the LETAS Order of Merit. The top seven at season's end gain direct promotion opportunities to the Ladies European Tour, while the top 30 avoid the first stage of LET qualifying school. Her new position improves her qualifying outlook but does not, by itself, secure a full LET card.
A Portuguese stage for women's golf
The best home player was Sofia Barroso Sá, 22, tied for 47th on 226 (+10). She made a second consecutive LETAS cut but struggled in the final round. Three other Portuguese competitors missed the cut: professional Sara Gouveia (+8) and amateurs Francisca Ferreira da Costa, 15 (+9), and Laura Santos, 14 (+11).
Santos had just won the FPG–BPI Federation Cup and became the youngest Portuguese player to appear in a LETAS event. Her participation highlighted the local development element, even though she did not reach the final round. The federation also staged junior-focused Pro-Am Kids activities alongside the professional competition.
With 84 entrants and the second edition staged in Vidago, the event offered national visibility for Portuguese players as well as an international LETAS contest outside the country's biggest urban centres. The winner was English; the competition itself took place in Portugal—the distinction is important when assigning it to a national golf news edition.
Sources: Federação Portuguesa de Golfe official results and report, 22 October 2026: https://portal.fpg.pt/noticias/ellie-gower-volta-a-ganhar-dois-anos-depois-no-letas/; cross-check: Golf News UK, 22 October 2026. The archive photo depicts the Vidago Palace Hotel in 2016, not the 2026 tournament.
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