SUNDAY AUGUST 31, 2014 - 71° OPEN D’ITALIA PRESENTED BY DAMIANI
• Gains his third European Tour International Schedule victory in his 280th European Tour event.
• Moves to €542,497 in The Race to Dubai.
• Moves to inside the top 95 in the Official World Golf Ranking, from 160th.
• His first European Tour victory since the 2011 SA Open Championship (Nov 11). A gap of two years and 277 days.
• Has played in 57 European Tour events between victories.
• This victory beats his previous best European Tour performance since his 2011 victory of tied second in the 2014 South African Open Championship hosted by the City of Ekurhuleni.
• His second victory in the Italian Open, following his maiden European Tour triumph in this event in 2008.
• His second victory comes in his 11th appearance in the Italian Open.
• Would be his second consecutive top ten finish at Circolo Golf Torino – La Mandaria, after finishing tied eighth in 2013.
• Since the event became part of The European Tour in 1972 becomes the sixth player to record multiple victories in the Italian Open and first South African. He follows: Sandy Lyle (1984, 92), Sam Torrance (1987, 95), Bernhard Langer (1983, 97), Ian Poulter (2000, 02) and Gonzalo Fernandez-Castaño (2007, 12)
• Maintains his 100% record of winning all three of his European Tour events when leading going into the final round. Led by four at the 2008 Italian Open, three at the 2011 SA Open and two in the 2014 Italian Open.
• The 16th winner this season when leading going into the final round.
OTHER FACTS
• Becomes the 126th South African victory in European Tour history.
• The sixth South African victory of the 2014 season. They are: Charl Schwartzel (Alfred Dunhill Championship), Dawie Van der Walt (Nelson Mandela Championship presented by ISPS Handa), Louis Oosthuizen (Volvo Golf Champions), George Coetzee (Joburg Open), Thomas Aiken (Africa Open) and Hennie Otto (71° OPEN D’ITALIA Presented by DAMIANI).
• Gains a European Tour exemption until the end of the 2016 season.
• Gains an exemption into the 2015 Volvo Golf Champions.
• Gains his 15th professional victory worldwide.
• Becomes the 18th European Tour win of the 2014 season by a former Challenge Tour player. They are: Morten Ørum Madsen (South African Open Championship hosted by the City of Ekurhuleni), Thomas Björn (Nedbank Golf Challenge), Louis Oosthuizen (Volvo Golf Champions), Pablo Larrazábal (Abu Dhabi HSBC Golf Championship), Stephen Gallacher (Omega Dubai Desert Classic), Ross Fisher (Tshwane Open), Marco Crespi (NH Collection Open), Alexander Levy (Volvo China Open), Felipe Aguilar (The Championship at Laguna National), Daniel Brooks (Madeira Islands Open – Portugal – BPI), Mikael Lundberg (Lyoness Open powered by Greenfinity), Martin Kaymer (US Open Championship), Fabrizio Zanotti (BMW International Open), Justin Rose (Aberdeen Asset Management Scottish Open), David Horsey (M2M Russian Open), Marc Warren (Made in Denmark), Jamie Donaldson (D+D Real Czech Masters) and Hennie Otto (71° OPEN D’ITALIA Presented by DAMIANI).
• Becomes the 347th European Tour victory by a former Challenge Tour player.
