Zach Johnson shot a seven-under-par final round to hold off Stewart Cink and Padraig Harrington in the inaugural Portugal Invitational at The Els Club in Vilamoura.
The 2007 Masters and 2015 Open champion Johnson edged out Harrington by one stroke to win the $3m event, which was hosted by four-time major champion Ernie Els on a course he redesigned.
Johnson's impressive performance included three consecutive birdies at the start of the day and six consecutive pars to take charge of the tournament.
On a hot but breezy day in the Algarve, Johnson's 19-under total of 197 secured a two-stroke victory.
Stewart Cink, the leader of the Champions Tour's order of merit ahead of Johnson and Harrington, bogeyed the second hole but bounced back with four birdies to get to within two of the lead on the 15th.
However, he made a two at the short 17th but it was too little too late as the 2009 Open champion finished two strokes behind his compatriot.
Padraig Harrington, the 2026 US Senior Open champion, drove the ball well but was let down by indifferent iron play and a cool putter.
"I got off to the dream start and I really felt like the putt going in on seven was key," said Johnson.
Johnson praised the host Ernie Els, saying "He's all class and what he has done with this facility is so impressive."
The Portugal Invitational, which was the first officially sanctioned PGA Champions Tour event to be staged in Portugal, attracted a star-studded field to The Els Club in Vilamoura.
Miguel Angel Jimenez shot the second-best round of the day after Johnson, making seven birdies but also two bogeys in a five-under 67 that lifted him to 12 under.
Justin Leonard, the 1997 Open champion, fired a closing 65 to finish on 10 under, one ahead of Darren Clarke, who carded back-to-back 68s on the weekend.
Ernie Els finished tied-17th on the course, which he redesigned for Vilamoura Golf.
The win marks a significant victory for Johnson, who has had a successful career on the PGA Tour.
The Portugal Invitational has set a new standard for golf events in Portugal, with the success of the event likely to lead to more high-profile tournaments in the country.
The win by Zach Johnson will be remembered for a long time in the golfing world, and his comments on the course and the host Ernie Els will be looked back upon as a testament to the success of the event.
Source: Yahoo Sports