Jamie Abbott of Ipswich has won his place in the European Tour Portuguese Open to be played at Morgado Golf Club near Portimao between May 11 to 14.

Abbott played well enough on the Jamega Tour in Britain last year to win free entry to events in the Jamega-Algarve Tour over the past few months.

He led the Race to the Portugal Open going into the final three qualifying events over the past fortnight.

The job had been completed before he teed off at windy Castro Marim on Sunday.

His only rival for a place at Morgado had been Cormac Sharvin, an Irish Walker Cup player from Ardglass in Ulster. Sharvin beat Paul Dunne one up in the final of the 2013 Irish Closed Amateur Championship at Connemara.

Portuguese professionals on the Algarve-Jamega Tour, like Tiago Cruz and Ricardo Santos, are not involved in the Race to the Portugal Open.

Dale Whitnell of Forrester Park, also a former Walker Cup player, had already fallen out of contention.

Sharvin, already unable to overhaul Abbott, did not take part.

Abbott won at Castro Marim yesterday with a second round of 68 to follow his 73 on Sunday.

In the previous two events Abbott had good finishes in the Quinta de Cima Classic and the Quinta da Ria Classic.

Abbott has entered the Europro Tour qualifier at Stoke by Nayland but it seems more likely that he will concentrate on the Jamega Tour again this summer.

He will be back in Portugal to compete in three events near Lisbon. They are the Bom Successo Golf Resort Classic (April 10 to 11), the Royal Obidos Resort Classic (April 13 to 14) and final the Bom Successo Grand Final (April 17 to 19).

These events are not involved in the Race to Open Portugal.

Sam Forgan of Stowmarket spent the weekend in Egypt playing in the three-round Mediterranean Tour event at Palm Hill near Cairo.