Ritchie produces birdie blitz to win in Portugal
South African seals second HotelPlanner Tour title of the season with stunning late flourish
Las Vegas - JC Ritchie birdied his last three holes to capture the Open de Portugal at Royal Óbidos, clinching his second HotelPlanner Tour victory of 2025 and sixth career triumph.
The South African signed for a closing five-under-par 66 to finish at 15 under, a shot ahead of Scotland’s David Law. After a bogey on the difficult 15th left him among a chasing pack, Ritchie surged clear with birdies at 16, 17 and 18.
“It’s an unbelievable feeling,” Ritchie said. “I managed a good birdie on 16, then chipped one in on 17 before hitting one close on the last. My hands kind of took over.”
The win follows his dominant display at the German Challenge supported by VcG and lifts him to second place on the Road to Mallorca Rankings. Law remains on top after finishing runner-up, with Frenchman Julien Sale in third on 13 under.
“It means a huge amount to win twice outside of South Africa this year,” Ritchie added. “I put in a lot of hard work last year and it seems to have paid off. Now I can focus on trying to finish in the top five and even end the year as Number One.”