Englishman David Howell will address some unfinished business this week at the 72˚OPEN D'ITALIA presented by DAMIANI where last year he came within a whisker of the title after a blistering final round.
The 40 year old compiled a nine under par 63 having started with an eagle, which propelled him to a runner-up finish at Circolo Golf Torino – La Mandria as South African Hennie Otto held firm on the last few holes to take the title.
This year the tournament heads to Golf Club Milano, host venue for the €1.5million event for the first time since 1990, and Howell is determined to go one better than last time.
“I was thinking during the last round last week that it’ll be nice to go back to Italy,” said the former Ryder Cup player. “It’s always nice to go back somewhere where you’ve had a good result in the past, albeit to a different venue.
“Last year I made that strong start and then just got on a roll. Every putt I looked at seemed to roll in and it was just one of those days when everything went right.
Unfortunately I’d left myself just a bit too much to do, but I was very happy with the finish given where I’d started that day.
“I don’t know the course in Milan but I’ve been told it’s quite tight and fiddly.
It’ll be a bit like last week, I think, in that you don’t need to hit many drivers from the tee. That actually will suit me well as I haven’t been driving the ball very well, but everything else seems to be working okay.”
A strong field will line up in Milan, with European Tour champions Tommy Fleetwood, Miguel Angel Jiménez, Alexander Levy and Bernd Wiesberger all in attendance.
The home charge will be led by the Molinari brothers, Edoardo and Francesco – the latter triumphing in 2006 – and Matteo Manassero, who is hoping to return to form after a testing season so far.
Another Italian, 18 year old Renato Paratore, will attempt to become the youngest winner in the event’s history, which would cap an impressive first season on the European Tour – the Rome man is currently 87th in The Race to Dubai.
American Stewart Cink, who won The Open Championship in 2009, is also present, as is Gavin Moynihan, who was part of the victorious Great Britain and Ireland Walker Cup team last weekend.
Golf Club Milano has hosted the OPEN D'ITALIA three times since The European Tour began in 1972 – in 1981, 1984 and 1990. The respective winners were José Maria Cañizares, the father of European Tour player Alejandro, Sandy Lyle and Richard Boxall.
