The European Challenge Tour will return to Florence, the capital city of the Italian region of Tuscany, for the second edition of the Mugello Tuscany Open from May 12-15.
The picturesque Poggio dei Medici GC, in the town of Scarperia, will again host the €150,000 event, which last year helped launched the career of Dutchman Floris de Vries.
De Vries edged out fellow Challenge Tour rookie Thorbjørn Olesen of Denmark at the second extra hole of a sudden-death play-off, and the two 21 year olds would later finish side by side in the final 2010 Challenge Tour Rankings, with the Dane taking third place and the Dutchman finishing fourth.
Since then, both players have made impressive starts to their maiden European Tour campaigns, with Olesen occupying 45th place in The Race to Dubai after finishing runner-up at the Alfred Dunhill Championship and tied ninth at the South African Open, and De Vries currently in 70th place on the Money List after a string of consistent performances.
Alain de Soultrait, Director of the Challenge Tour, said: “Last year’s tournament was a tremendous success, with Floris and Thorbjørn playing some superb golf on the final day and showcasing what the Challenge Tour is all about. So we are excited about returning to Poggio dei Medici for the second edition of the event, and we must thank the club and also Una Hotels for agreeing to host the tournament.
“We should also thank the Italian Federation for their fantastic support – with Italian golf currently on a high through the exploits of Matteo Manassero and the Molinari brothers, it is important that we continue to develop and strengthen our relationship with the Federation. Finally, we must also thank the Tuscany region, without whose generous sponsorship this tournament simply would not be taking place.”
Co-designed by Italian architect Alvise Rossi Fioravanti and European Tour champion Baldovino Dassù, the 7,114 yard (6,503 metres), par 71 Poggio dei Medici GC also played host to the Ladies Italian Open between 1999 and 2003.
