*Daniel Vancsik will aiming for a successful defence of the BMW Italian Open and become the first player to record successive triumphs since Flory Van Donck (1938-47). (Donck’s victories were separated by WW II). The Argentine’s six shot winning mark was the equal biggest of the 2009 European Tour season. He is no stranger to winning by large margins, having claimed his maiden European Tour victory, the 2007 Madeira Islands Open BPI – Portugal, by seven strokes.
*Matteo Manassero will be making his professional debut aged 17 years and 17 days, the youngest professional to play in the BMW Italian Open since the event became part of The European Tour in 1972. The 2009 Amateur Champion is no stranger to making history. At 13 years and 84 days he was the youngest player to play in a European Challenge Tour event, at the 2006 Texbond Open. At last year’s BMW Italian Open he was the youngest player ever to compete, at 16 years and 18 days. He was the youngest player in Barclays Scottish Open history in 2009, at 16 years and 79 days, not forgetting The Open Championship, aged 16 years and 88 days last year. The 2010 Masters Tournament also saw him make history to become their youngest competitor, at 16 and 354 days.
*Edoardo Molinari is playing in his 12th Italian Open. He competed eight times as an amateur, between 1999-2006. His best finish from his 11 previous appearances has been tied 17th in 2008 and 2009. Two of his five European Challenge Tour victories have come on home soil, at the 2009 Piemonte Open and 2009 Italian Federation Cup.
*Italy’s most famous golfer, Costantino Rocca will be playing in 27th Italian Open. His best finish was third back in 1992 and 1995.
*The BMW Italian Open has a rich tradition of Major Champions who have added their name to the trophy, which began in 1925. They are: Sir Henry Cotton (1936), Peter Thomson (1959), Tony Jacklin (1973), Billy Casper (1975), Bernhard Langer (1983, 97), Sandy Lyle (1984, 92) and Greg Norman (1988).
*On eight previous occasions since 1972 the BMW Italian Open has required extra holes to find a champion. Italy’s national open stands third in the list of events with most play-offs. The most with 11, is the 3 Irish Open, followed by nine for The Open Championship.
