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Pestana Golf Resort on Portugal’s Algarve has agreed a new three year deal with the European Senior Tour which will see both stages of the Senior Tour Qualifying School played at the resort until 2011.



Vale da Pinta will continue as host of the Senior Tour Qualifying School Final, which this year will take place from November 16-19, 2009.



Prior to that two of Pestana’s other courses, Silves Golf and the Nick Price-designed Gramacho, will host the Senior Tour Qualifying School Stage One from November 12-13.



It means that both stages of the Qualifying School will be held at the same resort for the first time. The new agreement also extends Pestana Golf Resort’s enduring relationship with the Senior Tour, which began when Vale da Pinta first hosted Qualifying School Final in 2001.



Last year saw Northern Ireland’s Jimmy Heggarty fire a superb final round 67 to surge through the field and lead the class of 18 graduates who all gained playing privileges for the 2009 season.



Heggarty has since made a fine start to the new campaign, finishing second behind Mike Cunning of the USA in the season opening Aberdeen Brunei Senior Masters presented by The Stapleford Forum, and is currently second behind Sam Torrance in the Senior Tour Order of Merit following the DGM Barbados Open.



Jose Matias, Executive Director of Pestana Golf Resort, said: “We are very proud to extend our agreement to host the Senior Tour Qualifying School for a further three years, especially because we will now be using three of our courses in the Algarve.



“It is a big responsibility to ensure that our courses are maintained to the high standard expected for a European Senior Tour event. The European Senior Tour is a symbol of quality and professionalism, values that the Pestana Group shares.”



Andy Stubbs, Managing Director of the European Senior Tour, said: “This new agreement extends our long standing relationship with Pestana Golf Resort and we are delighted to now utilise all three courses in the Pestana group for our Qualifying School.



“Over the past eight years we have enjoyed the wonderful facilities and hospitality provided by Pestana Golf Resort, as well as the superb condition of the courses, and we look forward to returning to Portugal’s Algarve for the next three years.”

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