The European Tour heads to Marco Simone Golf and Country Club this week for the DS Automobiles Italian Open 2021. Here are your five things to know.
This week’s venue
This year will mark the first time Marco Simone Golf and Country Club has hosted the DS Automobiles Open since 1994, when it was won by Eduardo Romero.
Located on the outskirts of Rome, the course has undergone some major changes in recent years as it prepares to host the 2023 Ryder Cup. This is to not only provide numerous risk and reward opportunities, but to maximise the natural rolling countryside terrain.
The redesign of Marco Simone Golf and Country Club, led by European Golf Design in cooperation with Tom Fazio II, began in August 2018, with the back nine completed and reopened in October 2020 followed by the full 18 holes at the start of March 2021.
McGowan defends
Ross McGowan will be returning to the DS Automobiles Italian Open, looking to win consecutive titles. However last time out, his victory came at Chervo Golf Club.
McGowan finished in style as he ended an 11 year wait for his second European tour title in 2020. Holing out from a bunker on the 16th and followed it up with a 22-foot putt for birdie on 18, sealing a one-stroke victory overLaurie Canter and Nicolas Colsaerts.
While he may be coming to a new venue, Ross McGowan arrives in Italy fresh from a tie for fourth last week and ready to defend the memorable title he claimed at Chervo Golf Club.
Emotional and honest.
— The European Tour (@EuropeanTour) October 25, 2020
We hear from our champion @RossMcGowan.#ItalianOpen pic.twitter.com/qCNbLTXlZE
Ryder Cup qualification
The qualification period for the European Ryder Cup team ends on Sunday September 12, at the conclusion of the BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth.
As it currently stands, Tommy Fleetwood, Jon Rahm, Tyrrell Hatton and Rory McIlroy would qualify through the European Points List, while Viktor Hovland, Lee Westwood, Matthew Fitzpatrick, Shane Lowry and Paul Casey would qualify through the World Points List.
With double points available on both the European and World Points Lists, there is still the opportunity for players to stake their claims for a place in Pádraig Harrington’s side at Whistling Straits.
Star studded field
The 2018 Open Champion Francesco Molinari will rekindle his bromance with Ryder Cup partner Tommy Fleetwood as the pair known as Moliwood will grace Marco Simone’s fairways this week. Molinari famously won five points from five matches at Le Golf National, also securing the winning point in Sunday’s Singles against Phil Mickelson and the pair went undefeated in their four pairings together.
11-time European Tour winner Henrik Stenson plays for the third week in a row, coming off the back of two consecutive top five finishes.
Bernd Wiesberger, winner of the Italian Open in 2019, will hope to build on his runner-up result at last week’s Omega European Masters as he looks to force his way into the Ryder Cup side.
Molinari going for three
A win this week for two-time winner Francesco Molinari will make him just the third player to win the Italian Open on more than two occasions.
He claimed his maiden victory in 2006 with a comfortable four-stroke win over Anders Hansen and Jarmo Sandelin. He got his hands back on the trophy ten years later in 2016, beating that year’s Masters champion Danny Willett by the single stroke.
Francesco will be hoping to recapture some form in his home country after an encouraging final round 69 during last week’s Omega European Masters. He was also runner up in 2018, losing out to Thorbjørn Olesen
