European Tour Reports

Find out about the hottest golf events taking place on a green near you! With reports on some of the most important events from the European and PGA Tours

High hopes for the ‘Big Three’

Manassero is – with the Molinari brothers Edoardo and Francesco – one of the ‘big three’ players from Italy that will start in Turin with high hopes for a home success. At the course, 20 minutes north of Turin, only Francesco Molinari ever scored a win on Italian soil, in 2006. Molinari: “It would be very special to win the Italian Open again – I don’t think I would ever get tired of winning that tournament.”

Manassero commented: “To play in front of our home crowd is something that I think all Italian players really look forward to. It goes without saying that I would love to win the tournament one day – it would be one of the most important moments in my whole career if I could win the Italian Open in front of all my friends at Royal Park I Roveri.”

Tie for eighth

Last year, both players finished in a tie for eighth place at the Italian Open, behind winner Robert Rock. Manassero is the youngest champion in the history of The European Tour, on the global stage following his wins in Spain and Malaysia. The Molinari brothers, Edoardo and Francesco, were deservedly proud of their achievement of becoming the first siblings to represent Europe in The Ryder Cup in Wales in 2010.

Tall trees, plenty of water

The € 1.5 million tournament (official name: ‘BMW Italian Open presented by CartaSi’) is played on the Robert Trent Jones Sr. course of Park I Roveri, designed and built in 1971. Following the natural character of the Natural Park of La Mandria, this is undulating course, with very tall trees on all holes. There is plenty of water on and around the course (on 12 holes), provided by one small river, some lakes and plenty of ditches.

Decisive holes

Among European Tour players and local experts, holes 9, 17 and 18 are expected to be decisive in the tournament. The 9th is a par 4 with a dogleg to the right, short but delicate. Near the green - protected by some bunkers on the right – is a lake that may mean trouble. Hole 17 is another par 4, a very long and tricky one. Players that land their first stroke too far to the right will have to deal with a large tree at their second stroke. There is a stream flowing at the foot of the green. Hole 18 is another par 4 with a dogleg to the right, with a tricky tee shot because of a group of bunkers on the right. Like hole 17, the green of the 18th is also well protected by a stream and a bunker.