Italian Open

Italian Open

Italian Open
Rome, Italy
Winner: Bernd Wiesberger

Bernd Wiesberger held off celebrating his 34th birthday earlier in the week but could do so with extra gusto after winning the Italian Open for his second Rolex Series title and his third victory of the season. Wiesberger won by one stroke over Matthew Fitzpatrick after making up three shots on the final day with a bogey-free 65 at Olgiato in Rome.

“It’s been a great summer for me,” said the Austrian, who missed seven months due to a wrist injury in 2018. “I’ve made a lot of progress since coming back from last year. I’ve won three times and it’s been the same each time, I’ve just enjoyed being back in contention because I know how tough it was when I had to withdraw from these great events last year.”

With earlier rounds of 66, 70 and 67, Wiesberger finished on a 16-under-par total of 268 at an event where home hero Francesco Molinari and Open champion Shane Lowry both missed the cut, while Justin Rose suffered a third-round 78. Wiesberger birdied four of the last five holes on the front nine to take the lead. Two more birdies followed at the 14th and 16th holes, where his tee shot at the par-three finished five feet away, but he also made some important par saves, not least at the last where he holed from four feet after going over the back of the green with his approach.

Fitzpatrick fell back with a double bogey at the ninth, but birdies at the 13th, 15th and 17th holes got him within one. An eagle-attempt from inside 10 feet at 17 lipped out as he finished as a runner-up for the third time this year. He was three ahead of Kurt Kitayama, with Matthias Schwab, Andrew Johnston and Robert MacIntyre sharing fourth place.