Filippo Celli is hoping to add his name to the growing list of Italian winners on the 2023 Road to Mallorca when he tees it up at the Italian Challenge Open this week at Golf Nazionale.
The Italian won the Silver Medal at The 150th Open Championship at St Andrews last year and has already made a strong start to his European Challenge Tour career, narrowly missing out on a maiden victory at the Andalucía Challenge de Cádiz last month after falling short in the six-man play-off.
The 22-year-old is feeling confident as he returns to his hometown this week and is determined to follow in the footsteps of countrymen Matteo Manassero, Andrea Pavan and Lorenzo Scalise who have all triumphed this year.
“It’s been so cool to see the Italian guys win on the Challenge Tour,” he said. “Andrea, Matteo and Lorenzo are some of the best Italian players in Europe right now and it makes me very happy.
“I can take great inspiration from these guys because I want to be the fourth Italian player to win on the Challenge Tour this season. To win this week would be so special because Rome is my hometown, and this course means a lot to me.
“I know Golf Nazionale very well because I won my first Italian Amateur Championship here and the Italian Amateur Team Championship. I also used to train here with the national team, and I feel very comfortable at this venue.
“I have made a pretty good start on the Challenge Tour this year. I came second in Spain as I lost in a play-off. I’m feeling pretty good and I’m going to focus on Challenge Tour this summer. Hopefully I can play my best golf to secure my card for next year and achieve my goals.”
Golf Nazionale, home of the Italian Golf Federation technical centre, will be the venue for the first two days of the 2023 Junior Ryder Cup on Tuesday September 26 and Wednesday September 27, before the competition moves to Marco Simone Golf & Country Club for the decisive singles matches.
There is a €350,000 prize fund available at the Italian Challenge Open, which is the biggest Challenge Tour prize fund this season excluding the Rolex Challenge Tour Grand Final supported by The R&A. This week gives players the chance to make a significant climb up the Road to Mallorca Rankings to secure a top 20 finish and therefore DP World Tour playing rights for the 2024 season.
Celli joins a stellar field in the Eternal City this week which includes Road to Mallorca Number One Ugo Coussaud and Portuguese Ricardo Gouveia, who is looking to win the Italian Challenge Open for the third time.
The first round will get under way at 7:30am local time, with Celli teeing it up alongside Gouveia and Pavan at 8:30am.
