History Made At Porto Carras: First Woman To Top The Professional Golf Field

From September 22 to 27, Porto Carras Grand Resort once again became a meeting point for the golf community, hosting the Porto Carras Pro-Am / PGA of Greece Mini Tour 2026 with a six-day programme that went far beyond a purely competitive golf event.

With players from 11 countries taking part, including Germany, France, Sweden, Austria, Italy, the Netherlands, Croatia, Bulgaria, Romania and Greece, the event took on an even stronger international character. Professional and amateur golfers gathered at Porto Carras Golf and Porto Carras Meliton Hotel, both managed by SWOT Hospitality, for a programme of competition, practice, premium hospitality, gastronomic and wine experiences, networking and side activities. Set against the distinctive natural landscape of Porto Carras, the event brought sport and lifestyle together, creating lasting memories for participants both on and off the course.

For golfers travelling to Halkidiki from across Europe, the journey is the first chapter of the event. This is precisely where AEGEAN played a key role as the Official Air Carrier of the Porto Carras Pro-Am / PGA of Greece Mini Tour.

This year’s event supports the non-profit organization Save Your Hood, whose mission is to mobilize citizens for cleaner neighborhoods, protect nature, promote recycling and provide support in times of crisis, including wildfires and floods, across Greece and Cyprus. To mark World Rivers Day on September 27, the event joins forces with Save Your Hood in Halkidiki on mapping, clean-up and environmental awareness initiatives at key locations and streams in the area.

Everything began at registration, where golfers collected their goodie bags and immediately got into the spirit of the event. AEGEAN, Domaine Porto Carras, Olga Karaververis, Napapijri, EMÉNNA, TaylorMade and Anatomic Line came together to create a generous gift package, adding thoughtful touches to the participants’ welcome from the very start. The practice round followed, offering a first real look at the tournament course and giving golfers the opportunity to prepare their strategy ahead of the official rounds.

When competition got underway, the pace picked up and the focus turned to the team contests, with every point at stake across the two Pro-Am rounds. The competitive action then reached its peak with the individual events for professionals and amateurs, where both the level of play and the competitive edge were at their highest. Consistency, accuracy and strategy were tested right to the end, determining the winners of an event in which every shot had the potential to change the standings.

The tournament extended well beyond the fairways and greens. From early in the morning, the registration desk became a refuelling point before play, with Real Greek Dairies offering koulouri bread rings and ARIA Cheese goat’s cheese, giving participants an energizing start before heading out onto the course. As the hours passed and the demands of the game increased, hydration remained an essential part of the day, with YDOR water and SOUROTI’s three flavours of sparkling water accompanying golfers throughout the competition.

At the same time, two Lidl Hellas stations, positioned at different points around the course, provided welcome stops between rounds of play. Protein shakers from Real Greek Dairies, hot dogs, fresh produce, Lidl products, water, SOUROTI sparkling water and EZA Premium Greek Beer gave participants a range of options to recharge and refresh without stepping away from the rhythm of the tournament. At one of the two stations, Miele’s premium coffee machine completed the offering, serving freshly prepared coffee throughout the day.

Following the practice round, the Welcome Cocktail by Domaine Porto Carras set the tone for the days ahead. In a relaxed and welcoming atmosphere, participants met away from the course, exchanged their first impressions and enjoyed the first evening of the event. Guests were welcomed by Panagiotis Sabaziotis, Golf & Sports General Manager of Porto Carras Grand Resort, Aston Ward, Chief Operating Officer of the CPG (Confederation of Professional Golf), and George Diakou, President of the PGA of Greece, officially opening a programme that combined competitive golf with moments reflecting the philosophy of Porto Carras.

Domaine Porto Carras returned to the spotlight with two wine tastings at its historic estate, Greece’s largest organically cultivated vineyard. After the day’s competition, participants slowed to an entirely different pace, tasting three wine varieties accompanied by ARIA Cheese from Real Greek Dairies. The second tasting, on the following competition day, welcomed guests including Antonis Tsapatakis, silver Paralympic medallist at Paris 2024, bronze medallist at Tokyo 2020, two-time World Para Swimming Champion and Lidl Hellas ambassador.

The event also opened the game to people who were not necessarily on the course as competitors. At the Golf Clinic, sponsors and media representatives got to know the Olympic sport up close through a session led by PGA of Greece golf professional George Diakou.

With useful tips, hands-on guidance and plenty of chances to try their hand with a golf club, participants moved from theory to practice at the specially designed practice range, gaining first-hand insight into the technique, accuracy and concentration the sport demands.

Once the competitive action had concluded, the focus moved from the course to the Olympic Hall, where the Porto Carras Pro-Am / PGA of Greece Mini Tour Gala provided a fitting finale to the event. Guests arrived at a venue dressed for the big awards night and, from the moment they entered, could capture a commemorative photo from the event, enjoy a welcome drink and savour the aroma of freshly ground coffee from Miele’s premium coffee machine.

The relaxed welcome gradually gave way to the formal part of the evening, with journalist Dora Tsampazi hosting the ceremony and guiding the audience towards the moment everyone had been waiting for: the announcement and recognition of the golfers and teams who stood out in the tournament. During the ceremony, Antonis Tsapatakis addressed the guests. The awards then took centre stage, with winners stepping up in turn for the team and individual honours, as well as the Special Awards, recognizing the performances that defined this year’s event. The evening brought athletes, partners, sponsors and guests together once again after days of competitive action and side events, bringing the Porto Carras Pro-Am / PGA of Greece Mini Tour to a celebratory close.

In the team competition, the Pro-Am Tournament title went to the team of Nikopoulos, Kalogirou, Steinhauer and Ganos with 211 points. The team of Kotsovos, Karakasis, Windhaber and Dakouras finished second with 197 points, while the team of Elli, Abrashev, Beshliev and Denkov took third place with 195 points. In the special team awards for the Open Tournament – Day 2, first place went to the team of Samakovlis, Georgiou and Panagopoulos with 98 points, while the team of Pantazidis, Idoux, Ninios and Gatsonis finished second with 97 points.

At the individual level, Johanna Ebner won the Porto Carras Open – Professional category, becoming the first woman ever to win it in the Mini Tours series, and received the prize money along with gifts from the sponsors. In the Amateur Gross Individual category, Simeon Denkov took first place, Marian Abrashev second and Klauss Hartfeld third, while in the Amateur Net Individual category, Moschos Kantis finished first, Ioannis Chasapis second and Ioannis Ninios third. In the special categories, Oxana Grigorieva won the women’s Longest Drive and Filippos Piperas the men’s, while in Closest to the Pin, Oxana Grigorieva also won the women’s category and Antonis Palaiokrassas the men’s.

Sponsor gifts were also presented during the awards ceremony: SUP boards from Real Greek Dairies, premium wines from Domaine Porto Carras, Bering duffle bags from Napapijri, as well as gifts from EMÉNNA, Olga Karaververis, TaylorMade and Miele.

Official Air Carrier: AEGEAN

Gold Sponsor: Real Greek Dairies

Bronze Sponsors: Lidl Hellas, Domaine Porto Carras

Official Car Rental Partner: Hertz

Partners: Napapijri, Urwantschky Jacobsen, EMÉNNA, Olga Karaververis, SOUROTI
Supporters: TaylorMade, EZA, Miele, Anatomic Line, Euroco

Porto Carras Pro-Am was organised by Porto Carras Golf and the PGA of Greece, with the support of the Confederation of Professional Golf and the Hellenic Golf Federation.

Porto Carras Grand Resort is the historic, iconic resort that played a defining role in establishing Greece’s luxury tourism offering, particularly in Halkidiki. Set within a natural environment of unparalleled beauty and striking contrasts, it has been offering guests high-level services and authentic Greek hospitality for 50 years.

Located alongside a 9-kilometre sandy coastline, the resort is surrounded by 1,800 hectares (18,000 stremmas) of lush landscape, with gardens shaded by pine trees covering the slopes of Mount Meliton. Its facilities include an 18-hole golf course, the largest organically cultivated vineyard in Greece, a thalassotherapy and wellness centre, restaurants offering high-end gastronomy, a casino and a full-service marina. In addition, a wide range of sporting and cultural activities on land and at sea is available to guests of all ages.