Rio’s Olympic Golf Course is the main attraction this week

RIO DE JANEIRO, Brazil – Known as Brazil’s wonderful city – ‘Cidade Maravilhosa’ – Rio de Janeiro provides a one-of-a-kind setting for the 69th playing of the ECP Brazil Open, the first PGA TOUR Americas event in South America. Starting this afternoon, the tournament is being hosted by the Gil Hanse-designed Olympic Golf Course, the venue where Justin Rose became golf’s first gold medal winner in 112 years during the 2016 Rio Games.

With the Brazilian Golf Confederation and the Rio Olympic Course partnering with PGA TOUR Americas, the ECP Brazil Open is coming here for the third time. The tournament was played at this venue in back-to-back PGA TOUR Latinoamérica seasons in 2016 and 2017.

“I have great memories from this place, and I was very pumped to get back here this week and play it,” said Joseph Winslow, who tied for ninth the one time he played here in 2017.

“When you get to play a place that was designed specifically for the Olympics, you know it's always going to be a pretty special course to go out there and play. I’m very excited to be a part of PGA TOUR Americas’ playing at this place this week”, added the 31-year-old from Overland Park, Kansas.

At 7,163 yards long and playing at a par 71, the Olympic Golf Course was created to challenge the world’s best golfers at the Rio Games, but it was also meant to serve the development of golf in the region. The course has welcomed the Brazilian Amateur Championships for the past few years, and it remains in championship shape.

“It’s my first time here and the course surprised me for the better. Some holes play pretty tough, but others provide scoring opportunities depending on the way the wind is blowing. It’s a course that demands some good strategic plan,” said Jesús Montenegro of Argentina, who holds the third spot in the Fortinet Cup standings after back-to-back top-10 finishes to start the season.

Built on a former sand quarry along saltwater marshes and lagoons near the Atlantic Ocean, this golf course is pretty unique within the region. Although it resembles the typical links courses, Hanse’s inspiration was drawn from the classic Sandbelt courses outside Melbourne, Australia. Greens are slanted, with several hole locations demanding precise tee shots to set up an unobstructed approach. There is no rough, but there are several other challenges as the wind.

Born and raised in Te Puke, New Zealand, Harry Hillier feels right at home playing down here. “I played a lot of junior golf in Melbourne and a lot of the shots, you kind of nailed on the head with it, it's very familiar for me. It's the lies, the way the ball is bouncing, the way the ball reacts, it's very familiar to me. I am looking forward to competing out here. It's one of the better golf courses we get to play and exciting to see how the game will hold up throughout the week,” said the 24-year-old.

With his older brother moving up to the Korn Ferry Tour after winning this event last year at Fazenda Boa Vista, outside the city of Sao Paulo, Harry is a sort of designated defending champion. “We were sitting in our apartment last week and he said, ‘You better bring home the silverware.’ So, there's no pressure on his part, he's just putting it all on me. So, I'm looking forward to seeing if the Hillier name can hold up two years in a row,” added the University of Kansas alum.

In all, 22 players in this week’s field have made at least one ECP Brazil Open start at the Rio Olympic Course. Mexico’s José de Jesús Rodríguez, who is coming off a win at the Totalplay Championship at Atlas Country Club and holds the Fortinet Cup standings lead, has the best record among them. He tied for eighth in 2016 and then shared runner-up honors in 2017.

“We played here a few years ago and although I kind of forgot some holes, it brings back great memories,” said the 43-year-old veteran. “It is a tough course, one that will require a lot of patience because the wind plays a fundamental factor.”

The 69th ECP Brazil Open is the third event of the PGA TOUR Americas inaugural season. Originally scheduled to begin at 6:40 a.m. Thursday, its opening round start was pushed to 1 p.m. due to inclement weather early in the day.